Return of the Great Dragon
by CabinFever5
Summary: After a shocking encounter with an old foe, Tigress finds herself the prisoner of a somehow less than dead snow leopard. She soon realizes that the man she's tasked herself with killing is more than the stories say. Tai Lung fights his demons through Tigress, but refuses to truly open up to anyone. Is he trying to repent, or is there a darker plot hidden in the shadows?
1. The Mission

**Author's Note: This is the first Fanfic that I've written, and all reviews are welcome and appre****ciated. I do have a direction that I'd like this story to take, but I'm also open to reader input. Also, I am looking for a Beta reader to work with on this story. If anyone is interested, feel free to PM me. Enjoy!**

**I do not own Kung Fu Panda, or any of th****e characters in the films**

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><p>Chapter 1: The Mission<p>

The evening was cool. A breeze blew lightly across Shifu's fur, and he felt an immense calm. He sat meditating under the Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom. _Could it really have been two_ _years __since Master Oogway passed? _ Shifu had been coming to this tree more and more recently. Although there had been considerably less trouble since the fall of Lord Shen nearly a year ago, the red panda felt that there was still a great threat out there, waiting to strike. But tonight, he was calm. He only then realized that he had been gone for a number of hours. _Best make sure that Po hasn't destroyed the kitchen trying to reach the cookie jar._

Shifu gathered himself and began the short walk back to the Jade Palace. The wary master entered the student barracks and breathed a sigh of relief when he found little out of place. It appeared that the Dragon Warrior had prepared a meal for his fellow students, and naturally "forgot" to clean up the mess. _ Though I'll gladly accept this over what happened last week._ Po and Monkey had a bit of a falling out over who would get the last piece of the cake Po had baked earlier that day. After a brief, impromptu "sparring match", Monkey enjoyed his prize. _The real loser was this room, _Shifu thought to himself with a small smile.

He made his way the student's quarters, and found the hall quiet. The only sounds that he could make out were Crane and Viper conversing quietly. It was a wonder that he managed to hear that, considering the snores coming from Po's room that seemed to shake the entire building. Shifu left satisfied. _Perhaps I should visit the Moon Pool. I may find the source of my unrest._

As it happened, the source of Shifu's unrest found _him_ as he neared the doors to the Hall of Warriors. He was greeted by Zeng's perpetually panicked voice.

"Master Shifu!"

Shifu sighed in spite of himself. "Yes Zeng, what is it?"

"We have just recieved an urgent message from a village near here! There have been several bandit raids in the last months, and they fear that the bandits will come for them soon! They are asking the masters of the Jade Palace to remove the threat from the area!"

Shifu was suddenly alert. "Zeng, you must calm down, immediately! What else does the scroll say?" he demanded, his relaxed state quickly deteriorating.

"Very little Master Shifu, only that the village is located near the coast a few miles north of the Valley of Peace." Zeng replied, in a tone that _might _be mistaken for calm.

"Very well, I will rouse the students. This threat will be dealt with soon enough." Shifu replied, turning back to the barracks.

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><p>Tigress woke with a start at the sound of her master's voice. She could tell without even looking around that it was early; she made a point to be awake long before greeting her father at dawn. Shifu rarely woke his students in the middle of the night unless there was a situation that required their immediate attention. She quickly stood and opened the door to the hall. The others soon followed, Po trailing the pack. <em>Naturally, <em>she thought to herself. She had become quite close to the panda over the past two years, after she accepted that he wasn't likely to go anywhere. In spite of that, she didn't think that she would ever grow used to Po's _constant _tardiness. Shifu broke up her drowsy thoughts.

"Students. My apologies for waking you, but there is trouble that cannot wait until the morning. There has been bandit activity a few miles north up the coast, and we have received a scroll asking for the assistance of the Palace. Master Tigress, Master Crane, Master Monkey, I would like the three of you to prepare supplies for two weeks. Be prepared to leave in one hour. The rest of you will stay in case of trouble while these three are away. That will be all."

With that, Shifu left the barracks. The students said quick goodbyes, and they went their separate ways. Tigress, Monkey, and Crane wasted no time preparing for their journey, while the remaining three wasted no time getting back to their bedrolls. The three travelers met in the courtyard after their hour to prepare was nearly up. They each checked the bags of the others, ensuring that nothing would be left behind. They worked in silence, all preparing themselves for whatever may lay ahead. Tigress looked to the moon, and estimated that they had nearly four hours to move until the sun broke the horizon. Content with each other's supplies, they turned to the staircase that lead to the valley.

They took their first steps with a feeling of optimism. They were clearly unaware as to what lay ahead.

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><p>As dawn broke, the warriors entered the village in need. The streets were all but empty, as the villagers confined themselves to the relative safety of their homes.<p>

Monkey was the first to speak since they left the palace. "This place looks deserted. What could these bandits have done to other villages to make the people here live in this much fear?"

"Let's just find whoever is in charge here. Hopefully they can provide some answers, maybe even a lead on this group", Tigress replied.

They soon came upon what appeared to be the largest home in the village. "That should be where we find the chief", Crane offered. Tigress knocked on the wooden door and waited for a response. Moments later, an elderly owl opened the door with a sigh of relief.

"Oh Masters, thank the gods you have come! Please, come inside. There is much we need to discuss." The warriors followed the owl into his living area and sat. "My name is Ming, and I lead this village. I sent for your help because I fear that we are in grave danger. About three weeks ago, another village to the east of us was ransacked by a group of bandits. A week later, another village fell to what I can only assume was the same group. Last week, our neighboring village was burned to ashes. We need your help to locate these monsters, before they reach us!"

The room was silent for a moment. Tigress was the first to speak up, "Do you know anything about these bandits, where they might be located?"

The owl shifted uncomfortably in his seat, "I'm afraid not. I do know that they are staying on a large ship, and that they've only attacked villages near the coast. The last village to be raided was located only about three miles north of here. If I were to guess, they are still near there."

"Thank you Ming. Don't worry, we'll ensure that no harm finds these villagers," Crane promised, "Can we find you here if we have other questions?"

Ming stood and replied, "Yes, yes, of course. Anytime, day or night. And thank you masters, I feel that we are much safer with you among us."

Ming led the warriors outside, and all three of their jaws dropped a bit. The village was bustling, venders were selling wares, friends were chatting, children playing. Monkey was the first to recover from the shock, "This place could have been deserted not ten minutes ago."

"Yes," Crane said, still in awe, "maybe we should move a bit before we decide what the plan is." The others agreed, and also agreed that it was time for a meal. Tigress walked up to a vender and bought a few fruits, along with a small loaf of bread. The villagers gaped as the famed warriors walked outside the small town, and sat down to enjoy their breakfast.

"Do we really bring that much of a sense of security to people," Monkey asked, "because I don't think I've seen anything like that."

"These people were desperate for help, and we've made a name for ourselves providing it," Tigress replied, "it's little wonder that they're more comfortable with us here."

Crane broke into the conversation, "Yes, speaking of helping these people. What are we planning to do about these criminals?"

"Well, our only lead is that they were a couple miles north of here a week ago. Crane, I think it would be best if you flew ahead to the coast near the last town that Ming mentioned. Monkey and I will wait here in case any trouble finds this village. Come back here if you find anything suspicious." Everyone nodded in agreement, and Crane took off north, while the others walked back into the village.

Hours passed until Crane finally returned to his companions, visibly shaken. "I've found something."

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><p><strong>What could Crane have seen that left him so rattled? I'll try and have the next chapter up by Monday night if not sooner. But, if I'm lucky enough to find a Beta reader, the updates will take a bit longer. Please let me know what you think, I'd love to hear your thoughts on just about anything! Until next time ~ Cabby<strong>

**Ming - from Míngzhì - Wise**


	2. The Attack

**Author's Note: Hello again! First and foremost, I'd like to thank those of you that followed and/or favorited this story. Secondly, I'd like to thank Cowardly pickle and Piefan for taking the time to review my story. I'm just realizing how encouraging it is to see readers enjoying this little creation. Lastly, I'd like to clear something up (even though no one asked). I know that it's no ex****cuse for a chapter that I'm not happy with, but Chapter 1 was not part of the original story as I created it. I felt that it was necessary to give the trio a reason for being there, so I added it in last minute. From here on out, the story should be as planned and executed a bit better. To the story!**

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><p>"Crane, what is it," Monkey asked with worry, "you look like you've seen a ghost!"<p>

"There are about three dozen bandits armed to the teeth three or four miles from here. They're on land now, but they seem to be living on a ship that's anchored there. It has to be the biggest one I've seen in my life. They seemed to be preparing to leave, we need to get there soon or we'll miss them," Crane replied.

"Alright. Let's move up the coast and try to see what we're dealing with," Tigress concluded after the brief meeting. The trek took far longer than expected. Even though the target was close, the trail leading to it appeared unused for months. Monkey and Tigress spent hours cutting their way through the brush, while Crane flew overhead. He had hoped to find a clearer path, to no avail. The sun had set by the time the Masters of the Jade Palace reached the edge of the forest. They caught their first glimpses of the bandit's camp, as Crane flew silently into the trees to find the rest of his team.

"Damn," Monkey started when Crane found his way to them, "you weren't lying on either count. There have to be what, thirty, maybe forty here? And where in China did they find a ship that size?"

"Yes," Tigress answered quickly, earning a brief look from Crane, "that's no fishing boat. They must have found a builder that supplies these ships for overseas travel. Maybe even for the Imperial Navy."

Crane managed to find a place to interject, "Hey, why don't we ask them where they got their ship after we stop them from taking off in the next few minutes?" That seemed to snap the other two back into focus. "How does this sound," Crane continued, "Tigress, see if you can sneak onto the ship while I fly in from above. The darkness should cover our movements."

"Where exactly do I fit into this plan?", Monkey whispered.

Crane was quick to respond, "You stay hidden here in case anything goes wrong. It's rarely wise to throw everything you have at the enemy at once." Monkey and Tigress nodded, and they set their simple plan in motion.

Moments later, Tigress found herself on the deck of the bandit ship, following a less than enjoyable swim to the side of the ship facing open water. The experience was made considerably worse due to her lack of skill in the water. She knew how to swim well enough to keep her head above the water, but beyond that she struggled. _ Between this and nearly drowning in Gongmen City, I should really consider learning how to do this. One day it might just save me._

Meanwhile, Crane flew silently overhead. He would wait for Tigress to move in, in an effort to avoid their detection before it was necessary. He circled the ship a few times, hoping to catch a glimpse of her scaling the side on the planks nailed there. Finally, he watched Tigress emerging from the water and move alongside the main cabin after resting a moment.

Monkey did what he could to gain a view of the soon to be action on board the bandit's vessel. From his perch high in the trees, he could easily see the shore and the criminals currently occupying it. What he couldn't see was the deck, where the attack was set to start. If anything were to go wrong, he reasoned, they would go wrong there. He decided to move to a vantage point that would likely prove more helpful. It was a mistake.

Tigress moved to the outside wall of the captain's cabin, which concealed her from the two guards that she saw on the deck. She prepared to remove the threat, if it could be called that, when she heard two men conversing inside the cabin. The warrior opted to stay hidden and listen. _ Who knows, I might learn something worth__ knowing._

She leaned in tight against the wall, straining to hear.

"I realize that whatever you're planning to do needs funding, but there has to be a different way to go about getting it," she heard the first say. The second voice seemed to belong to someone who held much more authority than the first.

"Oh, you realize that? Truly? Well then, weight off of my shoulders. This is the safest way to get what we need, unless you had something else in mind?" the second man challenged.

She noticed the first man growing nervous very, very quickly, "Well sir, most of us made our living taking from villagers. Is it really that high of a risk if we are always on the move?"

"It is safe to raid villages as a main source of income only if it is done flawlessly. I do not believe for a moment that this lot is capable of pillaging time and time again, without error. This is the best way to remain hidden and get what we need."

"Fine, forget that then. There have to be other ways than simply waiting!"

The second voice paused for a moment, then continued, "Huang, if you're still feeling brave enough to have this little debate with me in the morning, feel free to try. But before we get to that, I believe we have a guest that requires my immediate attention. Excuse me." It took Tigress a moment to register what had been said, and she quickly realized that they were rapidly losing control of the situation. She looked into the sky for Crane, and began waving to signal him down.

Crane was a bit beyond puzzled as to what Tigress was up to on that deck. In a period of no more than five seconds, she went from sneaking around the cabin, to looking around the sky with face that said something along the lines of 'I'm about to jump off the side of this ship', to flapping her arms so much it looked like she was trying to fly back to shore. He quickly realized that looked quite a lot like a panicked version of his signal to join her. He began to fly down just as someone was exiting the cabin and turning toward Tigress' hiding spot.

Monkey was on the move, and his plan to move was turning out to be a risky one. The brush was just as think here as it had been earlier, he had to move back into the thick of it to avoid detection. It would still be a few minutes before he was able to reach the spot he had in mind. By then he will have missed everything.

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><p>At the palace, Shifu sat down to read the scroll that the Valley's messenger had delivered moments before. By now it was after sunset, and the students remaining at the Jade Palace were in their barracks. Doing what, he didn't know. He did hear Mantis mentioning another attempt at acupuncture, though gods knew why. Every time Po finds himself on the business end of those needles, he tends to leave in more pain than before he began. He unrolled the scroll carefully, hoping for good news, but always dreading the worst.<p>

_Masters of the Jade Palace,_

_Let me begin by thanking you for sending three of your students to assist us with our...security problem. I am writing simply to tell you that they have arrived safely and are at work finding and eliminating the threat to our way of life. _

_Regards, Ming_

Shifu breathed a sigh of relief, and walked to his quarters with a weight off his shoulders, knowing that his students were safe.

Meanwhile, Mantis was hard at work trying to...repair Po after a particularly daring run through the obstacles in the training hall. "Po, I'm going to end up making this worse if you don't stop moving. Why did you even try going through the Field of Fiery Death? Has that _ever _ended well?"

"You know I train harder when I'm upset ever since I got here," Po replied, sounding slightly hurt.

Viper cut in before Mantis could strike another nerve that he hadn't been aiming for, "Po, they're going to be fine. If Shifu thought that there was any great danger, he would have sent all of us to deal with it. They'll be back here in a few days, you'll see."

"I'm sure you're right Viper," Po answered quietly, "but I just can't shake the feeling that something's wrong."

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><p>Tigress gave up on the idea of hiding and prepared herself for a confrontation as soon as she heard the cabin's door open. She only hoped that Crane had seen her frantic signal to come down and help her. She found out rather quickly that she couldn't have prepared enough for what turned the corner.<p>

"You?" He asked with a look of legitimate surprise.

Tigress' eyes were likely near the size of a peach as she echoed him with little more than a whisper, "You? Y-you're alive?"

Tai Lung recovered much more quickly than the tiger standing in front of him, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he patted himself down in mock confusion. "As far as I can tell, yes," he smirked, "Now what in the name of the gods are you doing on my ship?"

That was the moment that Crane decided to drop in and join the pair of felines, experiencing a very similar sort of shock, "You're alive...how..."

The spotted cat simply laughed this time, "Do all members of the Jade Palace have such impeccable skills in observation? Should I be expecting the other five to drop in and say that exact same thing?"

Tigress hoped to buy Monkey some time to make his way here, assuming he had half a clue what was happening. "No," she answered, "just us today. It's all we'll need." Crane caught her look and nodded carefully.

Tai Lung seemed to find that humorous as well, chuckling to himself. "Points for confidence Masters, but perhaps a bit too confident considering your record against me. With the rest of the Five, I might add."

Crane seemed beyond content to let Tigress do the talking, and she was happy to oblige. "We have trained since then. We are stronger than ever, and we won't need the Dragon Warrior to stop you this time."

That Dragon Warrior remark earned a quiet growl from the snow leopard. _Careful Tai, you remember how things ended the last three times you fought angry. _He chose instead to focus on another part of that little jape. "Stop me? From doing what exactly? Based on your reaction to seeing me here, you weren't expecting me. Is there really any stopping to be done?" He asked with a knowing smile.

"Considering the trail of destroyed villages leading to here, we're stopping you from burning another to the ground." _Monkey, where the hell are you? _

Tai Lung went back to his look of actual confusion, "We had nothing to do with that. Actually, we're just passing through. I don't suppose we could solve this civilly? The two of you go back home, and we sail on our merry way?"

"We all know the answer to that Tai Lung."

"No then? Alright, if you insist." He launched himself into the air and came down on top of Crane, managing to land a quick punch before Crane freed himself and flew up a few feet. Contented, Tai Lung turned his attention to the tiger. More specifically, the tiger's foot coming dangerously close to his jaw. He managed to catch her ankle, but failed to hold on after receiving a kick from the other. He growled, and spun back around to Crane, who was attempting to sneak off to alert Monkey, whatever he was doing. He quickly found himself dragged back to the wood of the deck, and back in the fight. He didn't last terribly long during the second round, as the snow leopard applied a messy nerve strike that would slow his opponent, while preventing flight.

With Crane down, Tigress found herself the sole object of Tai Lung's attention. Some of the bandit's had gathered around the brawling felines, but their leader ordered them to stand aside. He leapt on top of his cabin, putting him near the wheel. Tigress ran up the set of stairs to the left, and launched herself at the larger cat. He worked on the defensive far more than he attacked, biding his time until an opportunity presented itself. _Where. The Devil. Are you. Monkey!_

Tigress continued her assault, hoping to find a crack in Tai Lung's defense. She found little, only managing to land quick jabs at his midsection and kicks at his legs. As she began to wear down, Tai Lung managed to catch a punch directed to his temple, twisting the arm around behind Tigress' back. She flipped over him, freeing herself, but he turned and kicked high, catching her in the jaw. Tigress hit the ground hard. She saw the snow leopard returning to Crane as her world faded to black.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: Thank you all for reading, hope you enjoyed Chapter 2! A friend of mine agreed to read over these chapters before I published them, so I'm officially taking down that help wanted ad. I will ask you, my dear readers, to take a couple of minutes to review this story, andor follow, and/or favorite the story. I can't tell you how encouraging it is to see your feedback. Ask questions and I'll answer them, or just let me know what you think. Anything is appreciated! Next chapter should be done in the next week or so.**


	3. Captured

**Author's Note: Hello everyone! I have to say that I'm thrilled having hit 150 readers the day that this chapter was published. The feedback has been fantastic, and I couldn't wait to start in on this chapter. To that end, I would like to ask you all something. I have an idea for a Lion King fic, and I would like to know if you would like to see me juggle this story and that one, or stick with one or the other for a while. PM me, or leave your thoughts in a review if you'd like.**

**Tigerlover, for the sake of avoiding spoilers, I'm not going to answer that here. But, if I can figure out a way to PM you, I will (it wouldn't work from the review page). You might need to create an account instead of a temporary screen name. **

**Before I get to the story, I feel the need to adress another review sent in by a guest. He/she asked if this story is similar to another fic called "Ailurophile". I've been working on creating this "world" for some time now, and some of the elements of this story were inspired by stories made by other Fanfiction authors. While avid readers may find some similarities between this story and others out there, I can assure you that they were only inspiration. For example, the idea for the ship did come from reading the story that was brought up in the review. However, the plot line, OCs, among other things involving these elements are my own creation. If there are any concerns, please feel free to PM me and I will be happy to explain in more detail. **

**Enjoy, and as always, let me know what you think!**

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><p>Tigress woke to a throbbing headache. She found herself in a large bed leaning high up, and took a moment to take in her surroundings. The bed was near the corner of a large room, with a table and two chairs at the foot. To her right, she saw a larger table covered with a piece of parchment. Other than that, the room was nearly bare, with the exception of a large bookcase and a weapons rack housing a handful of short swords, as well as a larger engraved spear. She had nearly finished her scan when she looked to the small space to her left...<p>

...currently being occupied by a sleeping Tai Lung. She nearly jumped out of her skin at the sight of him, before she came to a realization._ This is the best chance I'll ever get to kill him. I'll make sure it's actually done this time. _She made a move to get up, and realized that she couldn't. _Damn him! Of course he used a nerve strike! _ She began to berate herself for not thinking to the events of the past night, when the spotted cat woke.

"Ah, Master Tigress, you're up. I apologize for the restraint, but I played a hunch and figured you'd strangle me in my sleep if you woke before me, and I just couldn't have that. Now I'm going to lift that strike, and you're not going to try and knock my head off. Agreed?" He paused, as though he expected an answer, "Good."

He walked to the other side of the bed and rolled Tigress over onto her stomach. He proceeded to tap a few points on her back and she felt her muscles release. She jumped up in an instant, "Where are the others?", she demanded.

"Who, Monkey and Crane? Dead." He maintained his look of seriousness as her face transformed between shock, grief, and rage. He grinned when he saw her unsheath her claws. "Kidding, kidding, calm down. If it was just the two of them with you, they were safely on the beach as of last night. Though if truth be told, I think I scared the living crap out of Master Monkey." He smiled slightly at the recent memory.

_He turned to face Master Crane, placing a different sort of nerve strike on him over the first. One that would wear off slowly over the next half day or so. He released the first strike and picked up the bird, carrying him to shore. Making no move to hide his actions, he placed the paralyzed warrior in the sand a few steps from the water._

_Monkey had finally reached his position when he saw someone taking Crane off of that ship. He burst out of the trees to meet his friend's captor, when he came face to face with a dead man. "You're alive?", he asked in horror._

_"Of bloody course I'm...forget that. I'll cut to the chase Master Monkey. The strike I used on Master Crane holds him immobile. In about half an hour, this strike will kill him. Unless you can find a way to lift it, of course. Best of luck, I must be on my way."_

_He walked back to the ship and boarded, the bandits raising the sails before taking off from the beach while Monkey tried frantically to save his friend. _

Tigress snapped him out of his daydreaming. "So they're alright?"

"Yes, yes, they're fine," he replied, trying to reassure the infuriated tiger.

A thought struck Tigress, "If you let the others go, why keep me?"

"I only needed one of you, and I figured that you would make for better company than Master Crane. Also a bit less likely to fly away."

"Need one of us for what?", Tigress asked with growing anxiety.

He gave her an exhausted look, and replied, "Would you _please _calm down? If I planned to harm you, any of you for that matter, I would have while you were paralyzed last night. To answer your question, you're here to keep the others away." Seeing her questioning look, Tai Lung continued, "When the others hear what happened, they'll try and track me down, no doubt. But, with you here, they might not risk attacking for worry that you'll be killed. Hopefully."

Tigress relaxed slightly, but she was far from ready to 'calm down'. "What if they do attack?

He briefly considered the question before answering, "Well, I suppose we'd fight and I'd hope to win." He walked toward the cabin's door, then turned toward Tigress, "Hungry?"

Truth be told, she hadn't eaten since the light breakfast she'd shared with Monkey and Crane the day before, but she'd be damned before she let _him _know that. "No."

Tai Lung shrugged, "Suit yourself. I'll be back in a minute."

Tigress took that minute to examine the room in more detail. She found little of interest, only that the table was covered in a map of China and the waters around it, several more weapons scattered about the space, and a dresser of sorts. Tai Lung walked back in with a bowl of fruit. He noticed her snooping and smirked. "Do let me know if you change your mind concerning breakfast, Master Tigress."

She nodded, turning back to the map spread over the table. "Where did you find this?"

"Didn't. One of the crew used to draw maps, he made it."

She heard a soft knock on the door, and Tai Lung stood to open it. "Ah, Yú, come in, you should meet our guest." Tigress nearly growled at the 'guest' comment, but her heart nearly stopped when she saw who walked into the room. A young panther girl, who couldn't have been older than a two years. She gave her captor her best '_Have __you lost your damn mind?__' _look before smiling at the girl. "Yú, this is Master Tigress, of the Jade Palace. Master Tigress, this is Yú. My daughter."

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><p>By morning, Crane had regained most of his mobility. After frantically tapping at different nerve points that he remembered from Mantis' acupuncture sessions for hours, Monkey realized that Crane was not likely to die from the strike. He had been starting to move slightly for a couple of hours, and eventually was able to speak. He recounted the events on the ship to Monkey.<p>

After hearing all there was to hear, the pair devised a plan of sorts. As soon as Crane could fly again, he would try to find and follow Tai Lung's ship, while Monkey returned to the Palace to get the other masters. But for the time being, they were forced to wait. Monkey refused to leave Crane lying on the beach still partially immobile, despite the urgency of the situation. They tried talking to pass the time, but it did little to calm their nerves.

"How could he have survived? The Wuxi Finger Hold cannot be survived, it was created that way!", Monkey asked incredulous.

"I don't understand it either. We all _felt _the attack, and he was gone. Most of all, Po lived to tell the tale. I don't see how any of this is possible," Crane responded meekly. "But, you're going to get help, and we're going to get Tigress back." He tried to sound confident for both their sakes. He found it difficult to do so, considering the outcome of the Five taking on the snow leopard, and it did little to help either warrior.

When Crane was able to move freely, he took off to the north, where Tai Lung left from according to Monkey. Monkey began the run back to the palace, desperate to get to Tigress before they were too late.

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><p>Tigress stared in stunned silence at the panther and the snow leopard, before thinking to greet the cub, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Yú."<p>

The child was in awe, which Tigress found absurdly ironic considering her parentage. "M-master Tigress, it's an honor to meet you. Please forgive my rudeness, but why are you here?"

This put the striped cat in a very awkward position as Tai Lung raised an eyebrow. After watching her struggle for a moment, he decided to step in, "Well, Master Tigress is...visiting us." He quickly changed the subject, "Master Tigress, you're sure you wouldn't like to join us? It's all fresh, we resupplied yesterday."

She agreed reluctantly, and sat down to eat with the unbelievably odd pair. After their meal, Tai Lung had an idea, "Yú, why don't you go find a game for the three of us to play?"

The cub nodded enthusiastically, and ran from the cabin. Tigress took the oppertunity to express some thoughts she had had since that knock on the door. "Are you insane! How could you even think of raising a child around this filthy group of criminals?" she asked with a sense of rage that didn't come often.

Tai Lung was silent for a long moment before he responded, "It's a rather long story and one I'd rather not get into at the moment."

Tigress was far from satisfied with his answer, but Yú opened the door before she could continue grilling him. Before she could say a word, a shout came from outside. Tai Lung lept from his chair, turning before he left, "Both of you stay here. Master Tigress, keep an eye on this one, would you? She has a tendency to find trouble whenever she can." He smiled at his daughter before walking outside. Tigress continued to hear an awful commotion from outside, shouting combined with what sounded an awful lot like strikes, with a large splash or two from the side of the ship. She fought the urge to stepping out, but assumed that doing so would make her current living arrangement far less...comfortable. _Being stuck in one of Tai Lung's nerve attacks will do little to help me escape him._

Moments later, the now visibly disheveled snow leopard opened the door slightly. "Master Tigress, would you mind joining me outside for a moment?"

She stood, growing more curious with each step. When she reached the door, she felt like the wind had been knocked out of her. Lying in a heap Crane was frozen in place on the deck in front of her.

Tai Lung couldn't keep the sarcasm out of his voice for a moment after he closed the door to his cabin, "Suppose this is the rescue party?"

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><p><strong>Author's Note: This one is pretty important. Writing child characters has never been my strong suit, so I altered the aging process for this story a bit to better work with my writing style. To be clear, for this story, children mature at around age 3, becoming independent around age 5. When I say that a character is 2 years old, think 7-9 years old. Characters usually live until their late 80s into 90s.<strong>

**Please let me know about Lion King story vs. this one, I need to know what to work on. Please review if you have the time, I always enjoy getting feedback from readers. Next chapter (of either story) to go out by Sunday or Monday.**

**Yú - Jade**


	4. Day In The Life

**Author's Note: Hello again! Another chapter done on schedule, I'm pretty happy about that. Tough to find time to write, but I enjoy it. It's always great to open up the story and find a couple more followers! I have to say? i was a little disappointed to see no reviews for the last chapter, but not much I can do about it. I will ask that you take a moment to leave a review, or even PM me. I'll respond to both either in the author's note or in a PM. To the story!**

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><p>Tigress' heart sank when she saw Crane immobile in front of her. <em>I thought he was going to get help! <em>Tai Lung's attitude did little to help her mood.

He picked up her immobile friend, "Master Tigress, would you care to join me? I think the three of us need to have a little chat." She followed him, stewing all the while. He led her down a set of stairs to another cabin below the main deck. He nodded at the door, and she stepped around him to open it. They entered, and he spoke again. "Same request applies from when I released you. Please refrain from trying to kill me, you'll only end up like he is now."

He released Crane, who was less than grateful. "Why are you holding us?"

"Hello to you too, Master Crane. Clearly my reason for keeping Master Tigress didn't work out quite as planned, but I suppose that can't be helped now. Regardless, I still only need one of you, the other is free to go. I'll leave you two to catch up, just let me know when you've decided. I'll be handling damage control on the deck," he finished, with a look at Crane.

As soon as Tai Lung left the cabin, the two warriors began a rapid questioning of the events in the last hours. Crane started, "Are you alright? So help me, if he hurt you..."

"I'm fine, he's been about as relaxed of a captor as they come. What about you, were you injured in that fight?"

"Not badly, I only took a couple strikes before he used the nerve attack. What did he mean when he said his reason for keeping you didn't work?"

"Well, if he was telling me the truth, he hoped that having a hostage would keep the rest of you from attacking the ship. What are you doing here anyway? I assumed you'd be getting the others and coming back."

"Monkey's on his way to the Palace now, and I was supposed to follow you here. One of the bandits spotted me, and I flew in when I saw Tai Lung come out. Is he serious about one of us leaving?"

"I would bet on it. He doesn't seem to want to many of his enemies on his ship at a time." She paused for a moment before continuing, "I should stay. You're faster, and you can cover more ground than I can cutting through brush. You're more likely to find me than I am to find you." She decided not to mention Yú, and that she wanted to make sure she was being cared for.

"What? Tigress, you're not staying here. I have a better chance of escaping than you do. It's the safest way to get both of us out of here!"

"Crane, if I walked off this ship and you escaped, we would lose Tai Lung to go do whatever the hell he wanted. All of China thinks the man is dead! This is the only way to prevent him from causing any more suffering. You go, get the others, and come back for me. I'll be alright here, I can hold my own against him." They both knew that to be a lie, but Crane also knew the odds of convincing Tigress to do anything against what she wanted.

"Fine. We'll do it your way. But you have to promise me something Tigress. Promise me you'll be safe until we get back."

"I will Crane. Now go, and hurry. This is about the last man I'd like to be a prisoner of." He looked at her reluctantly before opening the door to what turned out to be the crew's quarters. They walked up the stairs to find Tai Lung halfway up the main mast, fixing a rope that had come off during his fight with Crane. He noticed them and made his way down."Masters, have you made a decision?"

Crane answered, "I will be leaving. But before that, let me warn you."

Tai Lung smirked, which was seeming more and more permanent each time Tigress saw him. "Warn me? Of what, exactly?"

Crane was already growing visibly frustrated, "If you lay a spotted finger on her, I will kill you myself." Tigress was stunned to hear this from Crane, who had a reputation for being the voice of sanity among the Jade Palace's students. Especially considering that Tai Lung had, to be frank, kicked the crap out of him three times in a row.

The snow leopard either didn't realize this or payed it no mind, "On my honor as a warrior, she will be in the best of care, so long as no one boards my ship uninvited."

Hearing that put Tigress over the edge, "You lost all honor twenty-two years ago when you attacked your master and the people you were to protect," she spat with a venom that would challenge Viper.

He only glared with poorly concealed rage. "Master Crane, you are free to go."

Crane turned to Tigress, "Stay safe. We'll find you," he whispered. Moments later, he was out of sight.

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><p>Shifu entered the training hall to inform his students of the good news that had come the night before. He was pleasantly surprised to see everyone actually training. All were hard at work, sparring on the Jade Tortoise of Wisdom. He watched without interrupting, until Po lost his balance and fell into the bowl, which seemed to end the fight. He got the warriors' attention before they resumed. "Students," he called, "we have word that Tigress, Crane, and Monkey have arrived and are at work now. That is all, please continue.<p>

He turned to leave, opening the door, and running into a panicked Master Monkey. He spoke almost entirely unintelligibly, and a stunned Shifu tried to calm him as the others gathered around their exhausted friend. Even then, he only managed a few words. They were, however, enough to pale the entire population of the Jade Palace, "Tigress...captured...Tai Lung...alive"

All stood in stunned silence, until Shifu spoke in a whisper, "Tell us everything you know, Monkey."

The langur had recovered slightly from his rapid journey back to the Palace, "There was a ship. Tigress and Crane moved in, while I kept an eye from the trees. I lost sight of them, and I saw Tai Lung carrying Crane off his ship. He had him paralyzed, and he sailed off. Tigress was still on the ship. Crane is following them now from the air."

Po was hit worst of all in the beginning. He and Tigress had become as close to friends as one might get with her over the past two years. "We have to go find her!"

Shifu agreed, "Yes. Everyone gather supplies for a few days, we leave in fifteen minutes. Now!" Everyone scattered to find whatever they thought necessary for the next few days. The fear of losing the leader of the Five weighed heavy on all their hearts. The fear of the man that held her was almost as strong.

Moments later, Shifu, Po, Viper, Mantis, and Monkey were racing down the steps toward the Valley of Peace, and their two friends.

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><p>Tigress was about to check on Yú when she heard his voice from behind her, "Master Tigress, wait a minute."<p>

She made little effort to hide the contempt from her voice, "What do you want, Tai Lung?"

He didn't seem to react, "I thought I might give you a brief tour of the ship." He smiled slightly before adding, "Unless of course you had other plans?"

"Later. If I recall, you offered to play a game with your daughter."

He shrugged, and then grinned as an idea struck him, "Ah yes, I suppose I did. I also remember inviting our guest of honor to join us." He grew a bit more serious, "I know she'd love it, Master Tigress."

For some reason, it irked her every time her spotted captor referred to her using her title, but she let it pass as she realized the position she'd put herself in. _Gods, give me the strength not to strangle him in front of his child._ She followed him reluctantly to the cabin where Yú was waiting patiently.

"You're back! Can we play now?" Tigress smiled at the girl's excitement. _How could he even think of raising her here? She's so innocent, yet she's surrounded by the lowest of the low. Almost more strange, she has no idea what just happened outside. Hopefully. This might be common enough that it gets no reaction._

Tai Lung nodded in answer to Yú's question, and she hurriedly set up a game of Mahjong for three. Tigress found quickly that Yú was a natural, winning game after game, leaving her and even Tai Lung wondering just what had happened. Finally, Tai Lung requested a break, and the others agreed. He stood and walked to the door to see what was happening on deck. "Whoa," he exclaimed, "it's nearly sunset. You two want something to eat?"

This time he received little disagreement from Tigress, having apparently missed yet another meal with her nose in a rack of bamboo tiles, trying with no sucess to beat a child. He left for a while, giving Tigress a chance to talk with Yú without Tai Lung over her shoulder. The young panther took the oppertunity before she had a chance to say a syllable. "What's it like living in a palace?"

"Well, let's see. Probably not what you would expect, there's not much time to enjoy it. It's usually very nice, except for having to share just about everything." Tigress realized that the girl had been sharing just about everything with thirty odd criminals for all her life. "What's it like living on the water?"

Yú was as excited to be talking about her life as she was to hear about Tigress', "It's great! It's so much fun here, I get to spend all day with my friends. Sometimes I even get to steer the ship!"

Tigress smiled until she realized who the girl's "friends" were. The same people that burned a village to ashes not two weeks before. They continued talking until Tai Lung returned with three plates and chopsticks.

He grinned when he saw the two felines chatting, and he set down the plates on the table. As the trio sat, he stopped Tigress from starting, "Now, if the Jade Palace diet is anything like I remember it, this is going to be really, really hot. Ah! That reminds me, we should have tea. Be back in just a moment." When he returned with a kettle and three teacups, Tigress began what had to be the oddest dish she'd seen since that market near the southern border. Pasta and peppers drenched in some sort of sauce. _These are not Po's noodles. _That point became abundantly clear when she tried it, and promptly tried to cough up her lungs.

"Gods, what is in this?" She asked, still halfway choking on the spice. "And who made it, I want to know who to throw over the side of the ship!"

Tai Lung was laughing so hard, he could barely breathe for a very different reason. He finally managed to gain control of himself enough to speak, "That would be me, Master Tigress. And I did warn you, it's hot!"

"You?" Tai Lung in an apron was an image she'd like to lock away for future use.

"Yeah, and Yú's enjoying it as well as just about anyone else would. I can round something else up if you'd like though."

"No," she said quickly. She wouldn't be humiliated by a plate of noodles. After a while, she had managed to choke down the plate of fire, and Yú suggested that they continue their game.

Tigress made the mistake of answering, "Maybe tomorrow Yú, I think I've been beaten enough for an evening. How did you get so good at Mahjong anyway? Did your father teach you?" She asked, with a glance at Tai Lung.

The panther's seemingly endless supply of joy came to an abrupt halt as her she sobered instantly. The snow leopard's face wore a similar expression as tears began to well in Yú's eyes. Tai Lung spoke quickly, "Tigress, can you go up to the wheel and wait for a few minutes? I'll be there in a while."

She nodded with an apologetic look, wondering all the while what had gone wrong.

**Author's Note: I really need to know which story you guys want me to write, please let me know so I can work on what you want to read!**

**In case anyone was wondering about the title,**

**Tai Lung - (roughly) Great Dragon**


	5. Strangers on the Water

**Hello again! I know it's been a little while since I updated, but I'm trying to move to updating every weekend. This chapter is a bit longer, but I just couldn't cut it off before I did.**

**Now for the "thank you" portion of the A/N. Thanks to Chammia and Wise tiger for your reviews. They are a big part of what keep me writing. I'm seeing two votes for a Taigress pairing, so we'll have to see how that pans out. Also, a thousand and three thanks to Surburia for beta reading this chapter. It wouldn't be the same without your expertise. To the story!**

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><p>Tigress ascended the stairs to the very back of the ship, and gazed out at the sea. The boar at the wheel gave her an odd look, but neither paid the other much mind. The night would have been rather pleasant if she were able to enjoy it with someone <em>other <em>than her captor and his men. She took the moment to soak in the surroundings. A light breeze brushed through her fur as she listened to the waves lap against the side of the ship. The smell of saltwater was nearly sickening, but still sufferable. The enormity of the open water hit her like one of the swinging clubs in the training hall. _I can't very well swim back to shore. Can't very well swim anywhere, for that matter. Tai Lung would drag me back on board half__ drowned. I have to kill him while I'm here, or at least wait for the others to find me._ She knew that she would struggle killing the snow leopard with his daughter on the same ship, but it had to be done to protect China from that monster.

Tigress' thoughts haunted her for nearly half an hour. _Where could the others be? Monkey should have made it to the Palace long before now. Gods be good, and let Crane join them soon. How could they find me out here, without a speck of land in sight? Gods, I could die on this ship! _ Finally, the door to the cabin below her opened and shut quietly. Tai Lung crept up the stairs and spoke to the boar that she'd been sharing the deck with, "Huang, give us a moment? I'll keep us from running ashore."

The man, Huang, nodded and stepped down to a group of crocodiles working toward the bow. Tai Lung joined Tigress on the rail, "Huang's about as good a man as I have on board, despite his flaws. Keeps the others in line so I don't have to." He paused before adding, "Usually."

Tigress wasted no time asking what had been eating at her since she left, "What happened down there?"

Tai Lung just sighed, "You brought up her father."

That puzzled her. "Why would talking about you upset her so much?"

He looked at her with a cross between annoyance and anger, "Gods, Master Tigress, are you truly that thick? Do I look _at all _like a panther? I'm not Yú's father!"

"But you said...then who is?" She asked feeling more lost by the moment.

Tai Lung softened, "I don't know. Probably never will. About six months ago, we were stopping to resupply in some city farther south. We stopped at a clearing a few miles away from the city and made camp for a few days. I remember seeing smoke and running to see what was on fire."

He paused, and sucked in a deep breath before continuing, "I ran a little ways, and came to a burnt out village. I'd guess that the place had been ransacked by bandits a couple days before we showed up."

Tigress' glare moved from curiousity to suspicion mixed with horror as she realized the implications of what he was saying. _Gods, don't let him be telling the truth. He's lying, trying to get me to care for him. _Tai Lung caught her staring and continued, "There were bodies everywhere. No attempt to bury them, just cut down and left where they lay. I remember going from corpse to corpse, praying to find some survivors. I only found one. A panther cub hiding in a house that had burned as much as it would, thank the gods. She looked half starved; the bandits had taken what supplies they could carry and put the rest to the torch. I managed to coax her out of the wreckage, and brought her back to our camp. I kept us ashore for a few days, hoping that someone from that village would turn up looking for her. When no one did, I decided to adopt her.

"Her parents died in front of her. Any mention of them sends her over the edge. She's still just a cub, but she's stronger than most adults that I've known. I can't imagine it, nor do I care to."

Tigress looked at him with a slack jaw. _He took her in? Adopted her? He's trying to be a father to a cub that isn't even his? How could a man like him do something like that? He has to be lying, he's not the kind of person to do something like this. And yet, Yú's reaction to hearing about her father makes sense if he's telling the truth. Is it even possible that he's not lying to me? _The thoughts raced through her mind as Tai Lung smiled sadly,"Yú gives me a reason to keep going. I don't know where I'd be if I wasn't trying to keep her safe."

"And you thought that the best place to do that was on a ship surrounded by bandits?" Tigress was constantly concerned for the cub's safety, and the fact the Tai Lung had brought her here brought her back to the realization that this was the man who ruined her childhood. Who broke Shifu. Who took her father from her.

"Best? Not a chance. But, this ship is what I could find and I would have great difficulty managing it alone." Catching Tigress' less than satisfied and more than slightly angered look, he continued, "And there's only one group of people who I know won't turn me in. Criminals that don't want to be turned in themselves.

"Everyone here is self-serving and on the run, that's how I chose them. I'm not worth a thing to them, and they're worth less than that to me. We keep each other's location quiet so that we are not given away."

Tigress was still far from relaxed when he caught her off guard, "So what's your story, Master Tigress?"

That would be the last time, "Do not call me 'Master'. I know as well as you do that it's more mockery than respect."

Tai Lung looked slightly hurt, but consented, "While I do use the title with respect, I'll stop if you wish. And while we're losing formalities, you might as well drop the Lung. You put more malice behind it than I thought possible. Tai will do."

"Do you think we're friends now? I can assure you otherwise."

He smirked. "No need, you've made that much clear. But back to the question."

"You're serious?"

"Yes! All I know about you is that you appear to be a tiger, you train under Shifu, and you have a thing for hurling escaped convicts off of bridges." He grinned at his own jest, earning a glare from Tigress.

In spite of her annoyance, she began. _Might be lucky enough to get some information out of him. _"Well, let's see. I lived in the Bao Gu Orphanage for about the first year of my life. Everyone was afraid of me, predator, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. One day, a man came into the orphanage and, over time, he taught me self control. He adopted me, and I soon became his student."

Tai Lung's eyes shot up and he looked at Tigress, stunned. "Wait a second, Shifu adopted you?" She nodded.

"So you're my sister?" Another nod led the spotted cat to mumble under his breath before asking her to continue.

"I began training in Tiger Style soon after I came to the Jade Palace. Shifu was always cold, relentless." Tai Lung realized that she had adopted a rather severe scowl, and was currently giving him a look that was...unnerving. "Never a word of praise, never a word of gratitude. Want to know why?"

He looked at her solemnly, before speaking quietly, "I'm sorry. I didn't know about any of that. I couldn't have. I'm sorry. You don't have to keep going if you don't want to."

She ignored the apology and the peace offering. "I mastered Tiger style by the time I'd turned twelve. By then, Viper and Crane had joined the palace, and Monkey followed just after. About a year later, Mantis joined us, forming the Furious Five. From then on, I have a feeling you know my story. Your turn."

He recoiled a bit in surprise, and raised an eyebrow before grinning, "Let it never be said that you're not bold, Tigress. Alright, my story. Before I start, let me tell you something. Some of what I say might not agree with what you've heard. I am telling you the truth." Tigress nodded with a suspicion similar to earlier, and he began, "Well, the beginning is probably just as you know it. I was left in front of the Jade Palace as a very young cub. Shifu found me, and he decided to raise me as his own son. I started training lightly on my own, and Shifu took notice that I had a talent for Kung Fu. He made it his goal soon after to train me to be Oogway's Dragon Warrior. I trained to my breaking point, day in, day out. Shifu was always there, always supportive of my goal and his. I mastered the Thousand Scrolls at seven years, and I was first presented to Oogway for judgement the year after. He saw," Tai Lung paused, and shifted uncomfortably, "something in me that he refused to have in his Dragon Warrior."

Tigress interjected, despite knowing that it probably wouldn't help her endeavor to secure information from the snow leopard, "Something? I'd say it was the willingness to destroy the Valley and turn on your master for a scroll."

He growled lightly, before muttering, "Do not...there's more to it than you could know Tigress." They stood in silence for a moment before he continued, "Something changed in Shifu that day. He knew that Oogway saw a darkness in me, but I don't believe that either of them knew what exactly it was. Shifu took it upon himself to...eliminate that side of me. He became far more strict, more demanding, and more cold. I could see day by day that I was losing my father to something I couldn't explain to him.

"Time and time again, Shifu presented me to Oogway. The answer never changed. Not long after my tenth birthday, I decided to take the scroll." He noticed that Tigress was now listening intently, trying to piece together what he was telling her. He looked out at the water, and spoke again, "Twenty years in Chorh-Gom offered enough stories to keep us out here all night, so I'll leave it at this for now. It was a living hell, and it damn near killed me. After two decades in that gods-forgotten hole in the ground, I managed to escape. Ran into the five of you, was nearly killed by that flabby excuse for a warrior that took my title. Your's too, if I were to take a guess.

"After I came back to the Valley, things were...different. I had no purpose, Oogway saw to that." Tai Lung smiled sadly, "I just started walking. No clue where, no supplies, just me, my broken body, and my broken mind. After a few days, I remember collapsing on the side of the road, and waking up in a strange home. Turns out an old friend of mine found me and fixed me up a bit. He gave me enough supplies to get me around for a couple of weeks, as well as enough money for a couple months. I very literally owe him my life."

Tigress stopped him before he could continue, "Hold on. You're telling me that you wandered brain-dead throughout China for days, and no one noticed you? Not one person?"

Tai Lung smiled at her confusion, "Brain-dead sounds a bit harsh, but I'll give it to you. Yes, people saw me, but news of my death was moving faster than I was. Snow leopards are far from common in China, but we are around. Everyone just assumed that I was a member of a very unfortunate species for the time. Anyway, I decided to move north to Siberia where I could blend in a bit easier. I spent about a year there working in a city guard. When I had the money, I bought a part of a shipbuilding business, and bought the one you're standing on.

"As the money kept coming in from that business, I bought into a few others. That's when I picked up these men to sail this ship for me, and kept moving up and down the coast to pick up my shares. That's what we were doing when you showed up, dumb as it was to arrange a drop off a few miles away from the Valley."

Tigress was a bit surprised that he was just floating about for the last year, but one question still lingered in her mind, "You said that you have a darkness in you that you couldn't explain to Shifu. What was it?"

Tai Lung opened his mouth to answer, hesitated, and turned away from her. He spoke softly, almost sorrowfully, "That's a part of the story that I don't think you're ready to hear. Might be that I'm just not ready to tell it, I suppose." He turned back toward her, "Perhaps another time, I'll tell you. And hopefully under different circumstances."

Tigress was hoping for more than that, to finally find out why he ruined her life under...their father, but instead simply looked back out to the sea. "So," she began, "what's your plan if you escape us?"

Tai Lung only smirked. "Tigress, there's only one way that this can end now that you've found me, and it isn't an escape. I'm going to die soon, there's no way around that. I might be able to make it on the run for a while, but I'll only be holding off the inevitable." He turned toward Tigress, suddenly serious, "I take some level of comfort in knowing that my time is up. I can only hope to tie up a few loose ends before I move on to whatever comes next."

Tigress was stunned to hear this from him. The man who was not only known for his self-confidence, but for his willingness to do anything in order to self-preserve. She felt the strangest urge to try and bring some comfort to the spotted cat, to offer him some level of hope. However, she still had her doubts about his sincerity. _ Do not forget what he's done to the Valley. To Shifu. To you. He knows full well that he can escape, no one has known that he still lives for two years! And yet...there was true sadness in those eyes. _Conflicted, she could only stand in silence. Tigress found herself saying the only thing she could come up with, "I hope you do also."

The felines stood at the rail of the ship, staring out into the vastness of the open sea. Into the black of the night. And at each other, one trying desperately to reach out while the other tried not to feel it.

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><p><strong>Is Tai Lung telling the truth? And just as important, does Tigress believe him? Let me know what you think in a review! If anyone is trying to keep track, I'm going to list the characters' ages below:<strong>

**Tai Lung - 32**

**Tigress - 21**

**Crane - 24**

**Monkey - 20**

**Viper - 17**

**Mantis - 19**

**Shifu - 57**

**Po - 9**

**Yú - ~2**


	6. Waking Nightmare

**Author's Note: You guys make me laugh so much. Out of the six reviews for the last chapter (By the way, thank you reviewers. Record number so far for a chapter!), three were about Po's age and two were about a Taigress romance. I know you all want a romance! Get off my back! Kidding, of course. I just get a kick out of the fact that those two things are my reviews right now. I'm rambling, moving on.**

**Thanks to Br2nd66, MagicSprinkles, minpaponer, Tigressa, Tigerlover, Flame The Dragon Rider, and Ninjatiger for your reviews. You guys keep me posting every weekend. To answer the million dollar question, I have Po that young because in the first movie, he's still trying to put his life together. Basically a young adult, which he would be at that age.**

**Feel free to ask me questions or leave comments in a review or PM. I always enjoy your feedback!**

**Finally, a great many thanks to Surburia for beta-reading this story. You help make it what it is. On with the story!**

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><p>Tigress lay awake in Yú's bed, since she was sound asleep in...Tai's. The snow leopard was asleep on the floor by the bed, because he apparently trusted her not to kill him more than he trusted her not to escape. <em>Smart man.<em> She knew by the end of their talk earlier that night that she wouldn't be able to finish him off, regardless of how easy he insisted on making it.

She leaned over the edge of the bed to glance at him. He looked much younger in his sleep, less hardened and more innocent. She knew full well how true that was. Tai Lung's innocence had left him over two decades before then. Still, she watched as his chest rose and fell with each breath, wondering what had changed him into what he was.

He began to stir, mumbling incoherently in his sleep. His body became rigid, each muscle tensing as his breathing suddenly became labored. His words became more clear by the second, and Tigress felt herself pale. "Can't breathe. Can't breathe. Help me, please! Can't breathe!"

Tigress jumped from the bed and moved to his side. "Tai, look at me. Look at me Tai!" She noticed in her panic that his eyes were still shut as he thrashed on the floor. She sighed in relief, and jabbed the restless snow leopard in the side to wake him.

Tai Lung sat up with a start. "Can't breathe!" He practically yelled before realizing what had occurred. It didn't take him long to notice the tiger kneeling next to him, and he smiled apologetically. "Ah, just a nightmare. Sorry for waking you, Tigress. And...erm...thanks for the help. I'd have rolled around for half the night if you hadn't stopped me."

She nodded, understanding. "It's alright, I was still awake." She considered him for a moment before asking, "Does...that...happen often?"

Tai Lung chuckled softly at her pseudo concern. "Much more often than I'd like, truth be told."

Tigress gave an internal sigh. _I'm going soft. Don't forget who this is, and why you're stuck in the middle of nowhere. _"Want to talk about it?"

He raised an eyebrow, and considered the question. "Well, if you're in the mood for another little story, I suppose it couldn't hurt." Seeing her nod, he began. "In Chorh-Gom, the Anvil had set up explosives to be ignited in the event of my escape. The idea was to send enough rock down on top of me to keep me from reaching the gate.

"They usually changed the powder every year or so, to make sure it would work if it was...needed. If I recall, I had been immobile for about thirteen years by then. A couple of guards were up at the top of the prison, working on the device. Now, I didn't exactly have the greatest view, but I heard the explosion above me. Rubble started to hit the platform where I was chained down."

Tigress noticed the spotted cat's breathing quicken, and his pupils grow larger as he told his tale. "I remember hearing crashing above me. I found out later that the walkways across the cave were being destroyed as the stones fell. They didn't waste their time reaching me. One of the larger boulders hit the acupressure shell that was keeping me paralyzed, shattering it. Unfortunately, it neither missed me or killed me. It did manage to trap me, cutting off my breathing. I didn't have the strength to move the damned rock; that shell was designed to remove the chi from my body."

Tigress felt her stomach turn as she imagined herself trapped and suffocating. _Little wonder he's still terrified by the memory. _"That led pretty quickly to my first attempt to get out of that prison. I choked out a cry for help, and a few guards came to restrain me. They managed to slap on a pair of handcuffs, before moving the boulder off of my back. The fools should have tied down my legs while they were at it." Tai Lung smiled slightly at the memory.

"That was the first time in over a decade that I could move a bit. I didn't waste much time. Tried to make my way through the guards. Have you ever fought with your hands stuck together?"

Tigress raised an eyebrow. "I have not."

"Don't. Or rather, do. Couldn't hurt to practice it when you get back to the Palace, might save you someday. I had not, and that became rather clear rather quickly. My arguably pitiful attempt to get out of there ended with a _particularly _solid war hammer to the back of my head. Could I see a paw?"

She gave him an odd look before offering him her right. He guided her arm to the back of his head, and she gasped. _Holy hell, they dented his skull! _"Gods Tai, can nothing kill you?

"Nine lives?"

Tigress found herself laughing softly, and caught herself. _What are you doing? You don't laugh! Control yourself, for gods' sake! _She stopped herself, and Tai Lung gave her a warm smile, seeming to read her thoughts.

"Anyway, thanks for listening. It's not too often that I talk about those years, but...it seems to help some."

"Sure, sure. Besides, you were going to wake the rest of the ship if I didn't shut you up." She stood to try and sleep, but turned instead. _He seems a bit vulnerable right now. If he's going to talk, it will be tonight. _"Could I ask you something?"

"You can ask whatever you like, but I won't promise an answer to every question."

She decided to take a chance. "Where are you bringing me?"

The snow leopard sighed with relief. "Now that, I can answer. While I can't say exactly, we're just going to keep going north until I feel comfortable enough to lose my striped safety net." He grinned at Tigress' glare. "What? There are worse nicknames out there."

She ignored his jape. "Then what happens?"

He squinted slightly, and answered, "A most sincere apology, but I'm not going to tell you where I'll be staying so you can break down my front door and drag me out kicking and squealing. No no no, I see that look in your eye. I don't care how much you'd like to see it. If I can even make it that far, you all can find me yourselves."

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><p>Shifu, Po, and the Furious...Four sat around a small fire to rest for the night. Most were against stopping, namely the Dragon Warrior, but Shifu pointed out that they could make more ground after a hot meal and a brief sleep. Po was working diligently over a pot of boiling water, trying to throw together a batch of soup on the go. Most of the others were talking amongst themselves.<p>

"I just don't understand it. The Wuxi Finger Hold destroys the victim. It was literally created so that no one could defend against it!" Viper and Crane were trying to figure out just how their friend's captor was still among the living.

"I wouldn't believe it either if I hadn't fought him. Twice."

Monkey and Mantis were sparring lightly off to the side, while Shifu made a futile effort to meditate. Po wasn't in the mood to talk or train.

_It's my fault that she's gone. Everyone thought that Tai Lung was dead because I told them. I must have done something wrong, or he'd be dead, right? Gods, he better not hurt Tigress! _Po had felt an odd sort of friendship with the leader of the Five ever since they infiltrated Gongmen City. Shifu broke into his thoughts.

"Students! You should all rest while we can. We may not stop again until we can locate Master Tigress. Eat, and sleep. We will leave at dawn." Po's guilt stuck with him long into the night. Had the Masters of the Jade Palace known that Tigress and Tai Lung were only a few miles away, they wouldn't have felt such distress.

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><p>"Tell me about the Dragon Warrior," Tai Lung said, trying to move the conversation away from his plans.<p>

"Po? What about him?" Tigress was instantly suspicious of the larger feline's intent.

Tai Lung shrugged, "Not sure exactly. Where did he train before falling into the middle of Oogway's ceremony?"

She laughed at his assumption. "Train? The first time Po trained in Kung Fu was at the Palace. He's Mr. Ping's adopted son."

The leopard's face fell at the first half of her answer, and he attempted to piece together the second. "Ping, Ping, where do I know that name from?" He looked like he'd been punched in the stomach when the answer came to him. "Ping..._the noodle duck?_"

Tigress smirked, a small victory in Tai Lung's presence. "Hey, I know that face! That's the one I made when Oogway chose him!"

"The noodle duck's adopted son was chosen as the Dragon Warrior, without any previous training-"

Tigress interrupted the fuming snow leopard. "And then he handed you your ass if I recall."

Tigress noticed the fur on the back of Tai's neck stand on end, as his claws found the floor. His voice dripped with venom when he retorted, "I had spent twenty years rotting away paralyzed, as a device strapped to my back consumed nearly every ounce of my energy. After I fought a _thousand_ guards, climbing up a prison that was caving in around me. After I ran the entire night only to find the famed Furious Five standing in my way! After defeating all of _you,_ and running for the rest of that day! After defeating Shifu, that panda _barely _beat me!"

Tigress watched his rant, poised to fight Tai Lung if he got any more out of hand. _Was it something I said? _He softened considerably after that last remark, finishing, "Po only beat me after I opened the Scroll to find my reflection. Everything I had worked for, everything that I _lived_ for came crashing down on me as I saw a blank...mirror."

She knew that she had crossed a line, regardless of who she was talking to. She knew that Tai had existed solely to earn the Dragon Scroll, and it was almost cruel to taunt him about it. "I'm sorry. I know what you mean, it was what I was working toward for years of my life. Then Po comes flying in, right in front of Master Oogway's finger."

He gave her a sad smile. "Tigress, I hope with every fiber of my being that you don't understand. I wouldn't wish it on anyone."

Tigress got the sense that he was no longer referring to Po, or maybe even the Dragon Scroll for that matter. He gave her little time to ponder what he had said. "I need a drink. Should I bring two glasses, or do you play by Shifu's rules even when he's not around?"

She raised an eyebrow, and responded, "No, one will do."

He laughed, "Oh Tigress, you're too much like I was for your own good."

The eyebrow didn't move. "I doubt that. I would never do the things you did, Tai Lung."

"One, what did I say about calling me that? Two, let me ask you a few questions. Have you ever been with a man?"

_The nerve on this one...who does he think he is? _"That's your question?"

"One of a few. Well, have you?"

"No. What are you trying to prove here?"

"That we were quite alike at one time. I think we've established that you don't drink, so that makes two. Next question, do you read outside of the Palace library?"

That was just an odd question. Why would she? The Jade Palace's library was known for being extensive. "No? Why is that one of the things that we would have in common?"

He only smirked. "That explains quite a lot actually. Why don't you ask our dear father why that's relevant when you see him. I'm going to get that drink, you're sure you'll pass?" She nodded, and he left the room. _Talking to Tai might be helpful if he would just give a full answer for once. One of these days, I'll get him to talk._

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><p><strong>Author's Note: Anyone else sick of this ship yet? I'm getting close. Next chapter should be up next weekend. You guys are either going to love or hate the next few conversations between our two favorite felines. More questions being raised than I had here at the end. Trust me, everything I write here has a purpose later on...<strong>

**Also, some recommended listening. Although this might not be the greatest place to put this in, I'm going to forget eventually. I'd rather have it in now and have you all look back on it later than not have it in at all.**

**Due to my ability to over-analyze the crap out of songs, I realized that this fits almost perfectly with the Tai Lung that I'm trying to convey here. Keep in mind that I see this as Tai's familial relationship with Shifu, not anything romantic with Tigress. Check it out if you'd like.**

**Snuff - Slipknot**

**Until next time, hope you enjoyed it!**


	7. The Arrival

**Author's Note: Hello again! Another chapter done, and by far my longest yet. I'll put in a longer note at the end of the chapter, but I'll give my thanks now. Thank you to my most recent reviewers: katara-zuko1714 and Cookie M 2012. I love getting reader feedback, and your thoughts keep me writing every day. Also, endless thanks to Surburia for beta reading for me. Your help is greatly appreciated. **

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><p>"Do<em> you think we'll run into trouble on the road, Tai?"<em>

_He chuckled at the tiger's hope for action. "Considering that our job is to retrieve an artifact from Master Snow Leopard, I doubt it. There's a reason that Oogway chose this for your first mission."_

_The other brother decided to chime in, "You never know, Tai. The villagers mentioned bandits on this trail. We might actually end up having to finally use all this training!"_

_"The villagers talked about one group of bandits that were in the area months ago. No one in their right mind would stick around a place like this for that long. You know, if you two are itching so badly for a fight, I'd be happy to hand you your tails when we set up camp for the night."_

_Both tigers grinned at his challenge. "Deal," the twins naturally replied in unison._

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><p>Tai Lung woke relieved. <em>The gods are good today. I'm not usually lucky enough to wake up that early on. <em>The relief slowed when the spotted feline sat up to a splitting headache. _Right. The other reason I don't drink. _He rested his head gently on the pillow, before promptly realizing what he had just done. _I went to bed on the floor...oh hell. I take it back, the gods mean for me to die a painful death today. _His silent musings were confirmed with a glance to his right, and toward a, thankfully, sleeping Tigress.

_Get up slowly. No one needs to know about this. Especially her. _That was, of course, the exact moment that his striped captive snapped awake.

She looked at him with eyes bulging. She greeted him with an, admittedly justified, yell. "What the hell are you doing?"

He panicked, holding out his hands defensively. "I am so sorry. I swear, I don't even remember waking up in the night." He paled as another possibility struck him. "Erm...did I...do..._anything..._in the night that I will severely regret?"

It took Tigress a moment to recognize just what he would be regretting. She managed a wicked grin through her rage. "Tai Lung. If you had, you would have been sterilized by now."

He sighed with relief, though less than discreetly crossed his legs after her...disturbing answer. "I _really _don't drink," he tried to explain.

Tigress smirked. "I can tell. You had three shots and then collapsed on the floor. What I'd like to know us when you decided that it was a good idea to climb into bed with me."

Tai Lung seemed to find something _fascinating _on the ceiling. "I swear, I don't remember a moment of that. Actually, pretty much everything after that second drink is rather blurry."

She shook her head. "Are you going to get up?"

He realized that he was still sitting next to her, and managed to stammer something to the affirmative. After practically leaping from the bed, he tried to escape the situation. "I'm...ahh...going to make sure everything is in order up top. Feel free to explore, although there's really not much to see."

Tigress stood, and she wasn't going to let him off without one last jab at his pride. "You know, I never took you for being timid."

He shook his head with a small smile. "Cut me a break, would you? You know, there are only four people that I've ever been able to say that I loved in my life? That I could truly open up to? And right now, one's trying to find and kill me, two are dead, I hope. The fourth is Yú, but that's a different sort of relationship. Trust me, outside of them, I'm only smooth when I'm feeling _really _good about the situation. This is not one of those times."

Although that was one of the more depressing comments that the snow leopard had made so far, something about it struck Tigress as odd. "Why would you wish two of them dead? Who are they?"

His face fell, and he turned to leave. "Old friends. They're old friends. And the alternative to their deaths is something that makes even me sick."

Tigress couldn't let him leave with yet another question unanswered. "Tai, come back here."

He walked back into the room, and stared at the floor. "What is it, Tigress?"

"What could they be doing that would make you wish for their deaths?"

Still staring at the ground, he answered softly. "Do you hate me for the things I've done?"

The question took her by surprise. _Yes. Yes I do. You brought death and destruction to the Valley of Peace. You turned on the people that trusted you, that cared about you. You brought pain to Shifu, and made my life a living hell. And when he finally finds peace, after thinking that you died, you turn up alive. But...damn you with your sad side. If you would give me one reason to believe that not every word out of your mouth is manipulative, you might have a hope. _"Yes. No...I don't know what the hell to make of you, Tai."

He nodded. "I understand. You're conflicted, and I'm not making it any easier for you. But that's a bit beside the point. Do you wish I had died? Do you wish that Oogway had killed me instead of sticking me in Chorh-Gom?"

"I...I don't know."

"I do. Every damned day in that prison, I wished that Oogway hadn't shown me 'mercy'. He wanted to show me mercy, he should have finished me twenty-two years ago. My point is that there are things out there that can cause a man to deserve death. There are also things out there that an honorable man should choose death over."

With that, he left, and Tigress stood more confused than ever. She followed Tai Lung to the main deck, to find Yú climbing across the ropes by the main mast. She spotted Tai speaking to Huang, and she made her way to him. The two finished speaking, and he turned to see her.

"Gods, do I have a second shadow now? I'm not talking about them anymore!"

She ignored the outburst. "Are you aware that your daughter is a couple stories up at the moment?"

He smirked. "She's fine. Her village fished, Yú _lived _on ships. We could probably make it around just the two of us. All I'd have to do is turn the wheel and drop the anchor stones."

The cats heard a deafening _crack _and Tai cursed as the ship jolted. He looked up in horror as he heard a scream from above them. Yú dangled between the two masts on a rope that was quickly fraying on both ends.

He looked at Tigress, pleading. "Can you hold my weight?"

She would have been offended if the situation wasn't as dire. "Yes. What do you need?"

"Climb to the rope on the center mast, and hold it. I'll get her and come to you."

She nodded, and they moved to opposite ends of the ship. They both ascended quickly, and Tai Lung began to climb slowly onto the rope as Tigress found her grip.

He tried to reassure the panther cub as he drew nearer. "It's alright, Yú. Just hang on for another moment and I'll be there. It'll be okay, I promise." She nodded, unsure, and he finally managed to reach the cub. She climbed onto his shoulders, and he began to make his way back to his side of the rope.

Tigress felt the tension in the rope lessen, but had no time to shout a warning. Tai had managed to get Yú onto the mast when he felt it as well. He futilely grasped for the pole as the rope snapped from under him, and he fell from near the top of the mast. Tigress looked on in horror as she watched the snow leopard hit the deck with a sickening _pop. _He cried out in pain, and she realized that his leg was bent nearly sideways at the knee. She made sure that Yú was making her way down before she did the same.

He groaned and demanded a stick from one of the men nearby. When he left, he ordered several others to move below the deck, to do what, Tigress was unsure.

When the first man returned, Tai accepted the stick and examined his knee. By then, Tigress had reached him. "Are you alright?"

He looked up at her with a pained sneer. "Great, never better. Does this look dislocated or fractured to you?"

"How am I supposed to know? We have a healer in the Valley, I never learned this kind of thing!"

He recoiled in shock. "What? Forget it, I'm going with dislocated." He placed the stick sideways into his mouth, and bit down as he moved his leg near its proper position. The stick broke when he put the bone back into place, but sighed with relief as the pain began to subside.

"Better. Where's Yú?"

The girl appeared from behind Tigress, who hadn't noticed her. "I'm here, Tai. I'm okay."

She ran to him, and he hugged her tightly. Tigress couldn't make out what was said, but soon Tai was standing carefully and making his way to the wheel.

Tigress met him there, noting that he stood on one foot. "What the hell is happening to the ship?"

The fur on his neck was on end, as he replied sardonically. "Well, let's see. We're in the process of sinking from the hole that I'm sure formed from that rock. They're trying to patch it before we drown, and I'm taking us to shallow water. Also, my leg hurts like hell."

* * *

><p>Crane returned to the other masters of the Jade Palace. "Looks like there's another clearing about two hours out. Should we stop again?"<p>

Shifu slowed his pace to consider the question. "We'll decide when we get there. Did you see anything else of interest?"

Crane shook his head. "No, nothing on land or sea that I could spot."

Viper felt sick. She was the one person in the Jade Palace that Tigress could almost confide in, and she missed her friend. Beyond that, she feared for her safety in the hands of Tai Lung. _I don't even understand how he's alive! And if he's using Tigress as a hostage to buy his safety, can we risk losing her to stop him? Can we even stop him if we try? _

Mantis took a less emotional approach to the issue from his perch on Monkey's shoulder. "Crane, how are the winds on the water?"

Crane glanced back toward the insect. "Strong. Of course the winds are strong for days straight the one time that we can't afford for them to be. If they weren't, Tai Lung couldn't very well stay ahead of us."

"In that case, I don't think that we can afford to stop. If he's gaining ground constantly, we can't let ourselves rest. If we're not moving, he'll only be that much farther ahead."

Everyone seemed to agree, as they continued to press north, hopefully to their friend and worst enemy.

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><p>Tai Lung had run his ship into the shore to prevent the water from flowing in freely. The majority of his men had gone into the nearby forest to cut enough wood to patch the hull. Until it was repaired, he was stuck waiting. <em>I don't stand a chance if the rescue party should show up while we're here. If we were in the water, Master Crane would have to fly out the other warriors one at a time. That, I could deal with, even with Tigress coming at me as well. Still, battling the entirety of the Jade Palace would be one hell of a way to go out.<em>

He stood in his cabin, examining his bookcase, still flustered from his little chat with Tigress, and in pain from his fall. _Shifu, you sly bastard. You actually managed to cover it up for two decades? Given, even you don't know everything. Still, her entire life, and you managed to hide at least ten years before her birth. Impressive, if you weren't lying through your teeth to your daughter. _

The door opened, breaking into his thoughts. He raised an eyebrow at the tiger. "Glad to see that we're past knocking."

She returned the gesture. "You said I could move about the ship. I'm exercising the ability."

"You could go on land if you'd like. Hell, go find your friends for all I care."

Tigress recoiled at his remark. "Are you serious?"

He shrugged. "Sure. We're stuck here for a while anyway, and I'd like you to have a chance of finding your way back to the Valley. Having you here will do me little good now that we're stuck on land."

She shifted her feet, put in an awkward position. "So...that's it? I leave, you leave, and the hunt begins?"

"I suppose that's how it must be."

Tigress was blown away. _Something is up with him. What is he playing at? We hit a rock and it's time to go? There has to be more to it than that. Though it's not like asking him will get me anywhere._

Seeing few other options, she opted to try it anyway. "Why would you let me go right now?"

He shrugged, and looked at her, curious. "Have you found inner peace, Tigress?"

_Oh good, let's play this game again. I ask a question, he answers with questions, and I get no answer. I'll never understand him. _"Why do you ask?"

"Just answer my question, you should know how this works by now."

Tigress glared, and only then got a decent look at him. He looked...tired. Exhausted, maybe. Sure as hell not his usual arrogant, sarcastic self. "No."

"Do you know why?"

"No. Why?"

He threw his hands up in the air. "Some do, some don't. I'm leading into an answer to your question. I haven't either."

She sensed that he wanted her to ask. "Why not?"

He seemed to study her expression, searching for something. "I don't fear death. Men like me don't usually live to a ripe old age anyway. But there is one thing about my death that terrifies me. I'm afraid to die as people see me now. A traitor, a monster even."

Tigress sat down at the table, and Tai Lung sat down next to her. "All I need is one person...just..._one _person to see me. To change their mind about me. Then I will have found peace."

He smiled softly, sorrowfully. "That's the real reason that I kept you here. I knew once people realized that I was still alive, they'd do everything to change that. I knew that my time was running out to find peace. I thought that out of anyone, I would be able to reach you. So, I tried. I know I haven't told you much, but I can't bring myself to take away that much from you. Or risk losing your interest in listening to what I have to tell."

Tigress was speechless. _No, he can't be serious. Tai Lung is not reaching out to you to fulfill some long running last wish. Please don't let him be serious. Please...please. All these years, you've been trying to pick up his mess, while somehow still living in his shadow. You cannot do this to yourself. Can I do this to him? _

Both cats' heads snapped to the door as a yell came from the shore. Tai Lung hobbled to his weapons rack, picking up a sword. Tigress lept to her feet, preparing to defend herself against the now armed snow leopard. Her heart fell when he offered her the handle.

"Do it."

It didn't take her long to realize what 'it' was. "Tai, it doesn't have to be like this," she nearly begged the snow leopard, who was now facing away from her, eyes to the ceiling and neck exposed.

"Time's up, Tigress. They're here."

* * *

><p>Roughing up a bandit or two brought some relief to Po. Stress eating wasn't really an option under the circumstances, and he knew that he was helping out someone in the future from their dirty work.<p>

The feeling was improved upon greatly when Crane came over to check on him. "Oh gods, this is one of Tai Lung's bandits! They must be close!"

Shifu ran over to the pair. He practically shouted, "What?"

Crane nodded to confirm. "This is one from the ship. Tigress is close."

Moments later, the Furious Five, the Dragon Warror, and Master Shifu burst into the clearing to find Tai Lung's ship, and nearly all of his men. However, no one saw the snow leopard himself.

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><p>"Tai, I will not kill you. There are other ways!"<p>

He shook his head. "I told you before, this only ends in my death. And it's going to look really bad for you if you're wandering around the ship with me. You need to look like you just freed yourself and killed me."

_I've lost my mind. If anyone finds out about this, you're as dead as he's trying to be. _"There's another way."

He turned to face her, the fear evident on his face. "Go. I can buy you some time. Get ahead of us, go somewhere hidden. Make a life for yourself, please!"

Tai Lung stood with his mouth agape. "You can't...Tigress, I can't let you do that."

She nodded, sure in her ludicrous choice. "I am. We don't have time to argue about it."

He ran his hands through the fur on his head. "I can't make any ground with Yú. It would never work. Besides, she...doesn't know about...me. If I go on the run with her...Tigress, I can't do that to her."

"It's better than losing her second father. You can get away from us, and have a decent start."

"Tigress, I..." He stopped, and held her in an oddly warm embrace, considering the circumstances. He whispered, his voice trembling, "Thank you."

She pulled away after a moment. "You're welcome. Now get supplies. I'll get Yú, and bring her here.

He nodded, and moved about the room for a bag. She made her way below deck to find the girl, and get her out before her friends reached them. When she came back up, Tai Lung looked ready to go. He pulled her aside.

"Tigress...I can never thank you enough for this. I...I don't deserve this."

She smiled at the snow leopard. "You might be right. But I think you're wrong. Good luck, Tai Lung."

He nodded. "Will I see you again?"

"I have a feeling that our paths might cross again. Now go, they'll be here soon."

He limped outside the cabin with Yú, but turned back toward her. "Tigress, when you get back to the Valley...ask around about the Zhang brothers." With that, he slipped outside and climbed down the side of the ship. Tigress walked to the side, only to find that they had disappeared in the waves.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it! Kind of an enormous amount of plot this chapter, but I feel like it works pretty well. Tai Lung and Yú are going to disappear for a while, so those of you still holding out on a romance are just going to have to settle in. This is going to be a long ride.<strong>

**Please, please please, please please, let me know what you're thinking in a review. Have a comment? I can't wait to hear it. A question? I'd be happy to answer (unless I'm keeping it a secret on purpose). Have something you'd like to see in the story? I'll try and work it in. But I can't do any of it if you don't let me know!**

**How did you guys like the song at the end of last chapter? I have a few more lined up for future use, if you think they help to enhance the story. Have a song you think fits a section? Let me know! I'll give it a listen, and add it in if I think it works!**

**Finally, I'm now offering Beta services if anyone is working on a story. If you need a Beta, check out my profile and PM me with any requests or questions. I'm open to just about anything!**

**Hope to hear from every one of you!**


	8. Questions

**Author's Note: I'm done early! Not a ton to put here, but I'll point out a thing or two. I know I said that Tai Lung would be leaving for a while, but he's back briefly this chapter. Also, if you're interested, my profile now has a section for upcoming stories, among other bits and pieces about me and my writing.**

**Thank you Tigergirl713, Cookie M 2012, and clemia10 for your reviews. You three are the reason that I was able to get this chapter done so early.**

**To answer your question/request, yes. I do intend to torture you all with enough conflicting information, cliffhangers, and flat out lies to fill a story of their own. But, if it helps, I promise that it will all make sense by the end. Also, I'll see what I can do about the Crane/Viper, but if I can make it work, it'll probably be a while.**

**As always, thanks to Surburia for your help with the story. Her stories are fantastic, and you should check them out if you're browsing the site. Without further delay, here's the chapter.**

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><p>Tigress quickly turned her attention from the water to the bandits rushing off of the ship to her friends that were now well into the clearing. Most of them had made their way to the rapidly advancing warriors, and Tigress was quick to follow. She threw a savage elbow at the first crocodile that she met, who fell to the ground in a heap. The master tore her way through the bandits with a ferocity unmatched by any of the other animal styles.<p>

The others were having little trouble dealing with Tai Lung's crew. Monkey was busy keeping two wolves at bay with his staff, landing dangerous strikes whenever the opportunity presented itself. Viper and Crane seemed to be working together in an effort to bring down a larger group of eight. Crane would fly in a circle around the group, ensuring that they were contained, while Viper wreaked havoc from the inside.

A pair of boars were thrashing uncontrollably, which could only be the work of Mantis. Po never ceased to find success in all things unorthodox, currently causing two of his opponents to fight one another as he dodged their attacks. Shifu was making quick work of several of the bandits using his staff as well.

When the dust had settled, several dozen bandits lay spread about the beachhead, and Tigress reunited with her comrades. Their greetings came as a torrent.

"Tigress! Thank the gods you're alive!" Viper managed to coil herself around the feline's leg, in her best attempt at a hug.

Crane's was the next voice she heard. "Thank the gods, you're okay. Where is that spotted son of a-"

Crane was cut off when Po rushed forward, knocking into him and embracing Tigress. "Tigress, are you alright? I was afraid that we'd lost you!"

Monkey managed to find his way into her line of sight after Po...detached himself. "Tigress, I'm so sorry. I was out of position, I couldn't see what was happening. I take the blame for this, and I can never apologize enough."

Mantis appeared on Monkey's shoulder. "Tigress, I'm glad you're alright. Where did Tai Lung go?"

Shifu spoke only when the commotion had died down slightly. Tigress noted that when he spoke, he sounded...tense. _Understandable, I suppose. He did just recently hear of his problem's survival. _Still, the feeling that she felt at the sight of her father was different. How, she was unsure.

"Tigress, are you alright?" Seeing her nod, he sighed with relief. However, his face fell almost instantly. "Where is Tai Lung?"

Tigress took a quick breath. _You can handle this. You can't afford not to, and neither can Tai. _"I don't know. He's not on the ship, I searched it when I saw you all coming." She tried to put on a look of puzzlement. "Actually...we've been here since yesterday morning, but I haven't seen him since then." She was a bit disturbed by how easily the lie came, but she figured that it worked in her favor. _Don't forget why you're doing this. _

Shifu seemed to believe her story. Based on his reaction, she wasn't sure if that was a terribly good thing. "_What? _If he's been gone since then, he'll be long gone already! Why didn't you escape if Tai Lung had left?"

Tigress lowered her head. "Forgive me, Master. I was not aware that he was gone. Tai Lung left guards posted. I had no access to the upper deck to see what was occurring outside of the cabin he put me in."

Shifu looked her over, noticing something off about his daughter. _She's tense. She was Tai Lung's prisoner, that's to be expected, I suppose. Still, she's been left with only these sub-par bandits for guards, and she didn't realize it?_

He sighed, and looked out at the mess of bandits around them. "You're sure that you are alright, Tigress?"

"Yes, Master Shifu."

"Very good. Crane, fly to the nearest town and alert the guard of these bandits. Try and hire a few men to sail this ship to the Valley of Peace. The Jade Palace might have some need of it later." At Crane's bow and departure, Shifu turned back to Tigress. "Tigress, do you have any idea as to where Tai Lung might have gone?"

_Where would you not go, Tai? Where can I send us to buy you a few days? _The answer hit her, and she feigned horror. "The Valley. The Valley is undefended! He must have gone there, knowing that you would all be away. He has a day's lead on us!"

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><p>For two days, the masters of the Jade Palace scrambled to make their way back to the Valley of Peace before Tai Lung would arrive. They breathed a collective sigh of relief when they found everything as they'd left it. They were greeted warmly as they entered the center of the town by nearly everyone there. Not only were the warriors well liked, they were also rather reclusive. A sighting of all of them was a rare treat for many. Shifu led his students quickly to the Jade Palace, in an effort to plan for the presumed attack.<p>

When they finally reached the barracks, Po set out to prepare a meal for the half-starved warriors. Shifu would waste little time. "Tigress, come with me please. We have much to discuss."

She bowed quickly and followed the red panda to the Hall of Warriors. He led her to the Moon Pool, and sat. He nodded at the floor next to him, indicating for Tigress to sit as well. She did, and he spoke. "Tigress, we haven't had a chance to speak since we found you. Are you certain that you are alright?"

Tigress met his concerned gaze. "Yes, Master. I'm fine."

He sighed with relief, and continued. "I am glad to hear you say that. Now, were you able to learn anything from your time there? Anything that might help us find who has been helping Tai Lung to survive?"

She hesitated, knowing the danger that the question held if not answered carefully. "Very little. He mentioned going north of the Valley after Po defeated him, but beyond that he spoke very little of his past."

Shifu nodded, seeming to accept her answer. He thought for a brief moment before speaking again. "Was he able to secure any information about the Palace, or the Valley?"

"No."

"Excellent. We must be prepared for him to arrive at any moment. The citizens must be ready to evacuate again, but they cannot learn of Tai Lung's survival."

Her father's reaction surprised Tigress. "Why wouldn't we alert them of the danger?"

"If they find out, it will cause a mass panic, which we cannot afford. The Valley of Peace is rarely threatened, and if the people of the Valley lose faith that we can protect them, they will leave. If they learn that Tai Lung survived the Dragon Warrior at his full strength, there is little hope for any of them if he comes here."

"If we cannot stop him, wouldn't it be better to warn the citizens?"

Shifu shook his head. "We can stop Tai Lung. The seven of us are stronger than ever before." He nodded at her with what was meant to be assurance. It only made Tigress' stomach turn. "I promise you, if Tai Lung returns, I will personally see to it that he does not survive."

After a moment in silence, Shifu rose. "You may go, I'm sure you're as hungry as the rest."

She bowed and turned to leave before remembering something that Tai had said on the ship. "Master, may I ask you something freely?"

He looked up at her with concern. "Of course, Tigress. What is it?"

She took a deep breath. _Here goes nothing. _"When Tai Lung was speaking with me, he mentioned that you didn't allow your students to read outside of the Jade Palace's library. He also said that I should ask you why that is."

Shifu's face fell from concerned to shocked, as his eyes grew wider. She noticed that he bit the inside of his lip nervously before he answered. "Well, the Jade Palace holds one of the largest collections in all of China! Besides, Oogway saw to its selection himself." His nerves seemed to fade as he spoke. "I only ask that my students read here because I know that this place holds the truth. Other materials contain falsities that are of little use to us."

Tigress nodded. "Thank you, Master Shifu. I'm not certain why I felt the need to ask." _He was more sure of his answer when he was offering to sacrifice himself to Tai. Point snow leopard. But what could Shifu have to hide?_

With one confused and the other flustered, they made their way back to the barracks for a hot meal.

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><p><em>He smiled at the prospect of a sparring match. But that would have to wait. They had another eight miles to cover that day, and stopping to fight would do them little good.<em>

_By nightfall, the three cats had set up their canvas tents and lit a small fire. After enjoying a light dinner of soup, the tigers took to opposite sides of Tai Lung. He never turned down the chance to take on a challenge, which the, albeit green, warriors on either side of him rarely failed to provide in their training. _

_When pitted against a master of Leopard Style, a tiger stood little chance. Leopard was designed to best Tiger in a fight between evenly matched fighters. Two tigers made for a more interesting match._

_He was about to begin the fight, but Chéng beat him to it. "Ready, Spots?"_

_Tai smirked. "I'm already going to beat you, Chéng. You don't need to piss me off."_

_Hēi took the liberty of answering for him. "He's ready. Let's go!"_

_All three felines set their feet, with Tai Lung preparing to defend against two attackers. The tigers lunged at him simultaneously, but Hēi stumbled. Tai turned his attention to Chéng, before noticing that the other twin had stopped, and was looking past him. Tai Lung turned around to see Hēi stand, only to crumple to the ground._

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><p>He sat up, and ran his fingers through his fur. <em>Seriously, twice in a few days? This is just getting cruel. <em>Tai Lung stood, and made his way into the kitchen. It was before dawn, but Jiù was already up. He moved silently next to the cheetah. "I should go, before she wakes up."

The golden pelted feline turned, surprised by his sudden appearance. "Oh, right. You're sure about this Tai?"

"It's what's best for everyone. Besides, it's not like I'm leaving her on the doorstep. She'll have a better life here than I could ever give her. What about you? Are you sure you three want this?"

He nodded. "Absolutely. For you, and for her. Are you sure that I can't do anything to help you out?"

Tai smiled sadly, and grabbed his friend's shoulder. "You've done more for me than I could have ever asked for. I can never repay you for all of it. It would be a crime to ask for more."

The smaller cat returned the small smile. "Don't forget, I said the same thing twenty-four years ago. I'm just paying the debt." He seemed to struggle to find his next words. "Am I going to see you again, Tai?"

"Last time you asked me that, I said no, but I spent last night in your guest room. I'm afraid to see what happens if I say yes."

Both men laughed softly, before shaking hands and parting ways. Tai Lung debated going back to see Yú one last time, but decided against it. _This is hard enough as it is. No need to make it worse. _He started on the dirt path leading south, alone.

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><p>After inhaling a second serving of Po's dumplings, Shifu made the announcement that there would be no training that day. He recommended that the students rest, and many did. After Tigress answered endless questions about Tai Lung from the rest of the Five and Po, most of which were less truth than lies, she decided instead to go down into the Valley.<p>

There were only a few people that she had made a point of talking to in the past years. Only one of them would have been around three decades before then. Tigress found herself at Mr. Ping's shop during rush hour, but she managed to make her way to the counter. The goose was rushing about inside his kitchen, preparing dozens of dishes. He came to a halt when he noticed her. "Master Tigress, it's an honor! How can I help you?"

"It's nothing. I just needed to ask a question. Not a pressing matter, you're clearly very busy. Is it alright if I come back later?"

"Nonsense! I'm never too busy for a member of the Jade Palace! Please, come inside."

She was ushered into the kitchen as Ping placed a sign signaling a break. He led her to the back storage room. "So, what might I help you with?"

Tigress was a bit nervous to ask, for fear of the answer. _You wanted the truth, and it's standing in front of you. _" What do you know about the Zhang brothers?"

Ping raised an eyebrow. "What about them?"

"Anything would be helpful."

"Shifu didn't tell you about them?"

She shook her head.

"Oogway?"

She repeated the gesture.

"Curious. Nevermind, then. The Zhang brothers, let me think. Not very much, I'm afraid. They mostly kept to themselves. They trained under Master Oogway for a few years at the Jade Palace. Beyond that, I don't know very much."

Tigress sighed. She had hoped for a longer answer than that. An idea struck her. "Do you know how they might be related to Tai Lung's life?"

The goose seemed to sadden after her question. "Unfortunately, yes. Tai Lung murdered them."

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><p><strong>Next chapter set for next weekend sometime. Hope you enjoyed, let me know in a review! Who knows, might get me to write faster...<strong>

**I'm available to Beta if anyone is looking. Check out my profile, and PM me if you want to talk!**

**Chèng - Orange**

**Hēi - Black (I'm so very creative with names)**

**Jiù Zhû (last name, not mentioned) - Savior**


	9. Home

**Author's Note: Back on schedule with this chapter. Please check out my profile, I posted a poll that I _need _your opinion on. All of you. Yes, even you. A side note with the poll, the story isn't ending in the near future, but I'd like to plan ahead some, maybe even get a chapter or two written.**

**Thanks to Tigergirl713 (I'll see what I can do), Tigressa (thanks for the suggestion, but remember, she doesn't even know where Tai Lung is. Besides, her opinion of him will be pretty quickly changing after the end of last chapter), clemia10 (you're going to kill me by the end of this, I just know it), and pineapplefish (I have nothing to put here :) ) for your reviews. Always appreciated! Also, thanks to Surburia for Beta reading for me.**

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><p>Tigress' eyes widened in shock at Ping's answer. "He what?"<p>

The goose wore a pained expression, visibly struggling to speak of the memory. "Tai Lung and the brothers left the Valley on a request from Master Oogway. If I recall, it was the first time that the twins had left the Valley on a mission. Tai Lung killed them on the road, and returned to the Valley days later. He destroyed much of the Valley, and went up to the Jade Palace to take the Dragon Scroll."

Ping shook his head slightly. "A shame really. I never did meet the Zhangs, but Tai Lung was always a pleasant presence in the Valley. Very friendly, very kind. Such a waste." He seemed to snap out of his reminiscing when a customer called from the counter. Tigress had to smile at the goose's priorities. "But, enough of such unpleasantries. Is there anything else I might help you with?"

Tigress had been listening intently to the story of that day; Shifu and Oogway neglected to talk about it for her entire life. _More secrets, Shifu? And Oogway as well? How much have they been hiding over the years? _She realized that Ping had asked a question. "My apologies, I was lost in the story. No, thank you. And thank you for taking the time to speak with me."

Ping smiled brightly. "My pleasure! Anything for a master of the Jade Palace."

She stood to leave, and he shouted as she walked into his dining space. "Say hello to Po for me!"

She smiled, and nodded. "I will, Mr. Ping."

Tigress took her time ascending the stairs leading to the Palace, giving her time to think. _How could Tai have killed them? Didn't he say that he only hoped that they had died? Wait...was he even talking about the Zhang brothers then? He mentioned the two that he wished dead long before he brought up the brothers. How did he manage to leave those two out of his sappy story? Though I shouldn't be surprised, considering how many others that he has murdered in cold blood. What I'd like to know is why Shifu never mentioned two former students that just happened to be killed by Tai Lung._

When she finally reached the top of the stairs, Tigress found her way to the Training Hall, with hopes to clear her thoughts. _What if I was wrong about him? _ The possibility fueled her enough to destroy one of the swinging clubs._ What if I let him loose to cause more destruction? How can I know that he was telling the truth about his actions in the last two years? The only support that he had to show for that story was Yú, and even then, he could have been using those bandits to raid villages while Yú was with him. Gods, don't let this have been a mistake._ Moving on through the course, she spun, lauching a vicious kick at the nearest wooden warrior. _Perhaps it would be best to question some of the men from his ship. I'll ask Shifu about going back north. Now I just need to find a way to ask without raising any suspicion from him. _One of the dummy warriors clipped her shoulder, and she grimaced. _This is getting me nowhere. Besides, at this rate, I'll break something before I'm able to relax._

Tigress left the Training Hall to find Shifu. She searched the Hall of Warriors and the Sacred Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom, with no success at either. After a thorough search of the remainder of the grounds, she found herself at a loss and exhausted. _We have a day off once a decade. I should rest while I have the chance. Besides, Shifu will be back when I wake up again. _

Tigress returned to the barracks to join the rest in a nap. Just as she entered the building, Shifu reached the top of the stairs and the Hall of Warriors. He entered the Hall to meditate. He found it impossible to relax, even slightly.

_Tai Lung lives. Not only alive, but perhaps on his way here right now. How? How is he alive, and how did no one notice? How will we stop him if he returns? What if he does not? Well, that's a question easily answered. We have to find him now. But where to begin? He should be here by now if he was coming to the Valley. Is it even possible that he's actually running?_

He remained troubled and still for hours. Eventually, his thoughts were interrupted by the door at the far end of the Hall opening. He turned to see Tigress walking toward him. He smiled softly and greeted her. "Tigress, hello again. Do you need something?"

Tigress shifted uncomfortably as she spoke. "Hello, Master. Yes, I wished to ask your permission to travel north to question the bandits we found working for Tai Lung."

Shifu raised an eyebrow, surprised. "I'm not certain that that is wise, considering that Tai Lung himself may show up at any moment."

Tigress nodded in false agreement, but continued. "I realize that the timing is far from ideal. However, I find it strange that he has yet to come with a day's lead and half a day since we returned. I worry that I may have been wrong in assuming that he would return here."

Shifu considered her, with a vague suspicion that she was hiding something. "Yes," he spoke slowly, "I reached a...similar conclusion. However, I feel that it is unwise to leave with the possibility of Tai Lung's return still a possibility. Perhaps in a few days, if all is quiet, I will send you to see if there is anything to be learned from the bandits."

Tigress nodded, bowed, and began to make her way to the door. _He's going away from here, to do what only the gods know, and you're keeping me stuck here. Fantastic, really._

She jumped when she heard an overly loud knock on the door only feet from her. Her heart lept into her throat when an absurdly cheery voice called from the other side. "Daddy, I'm _home._"

Tigress looked back toward Shifu to find him with mouth agape and eyes wide in shock. He raced to the door as Tigress opened it. Tai Lung crouched back at the top of the stairs on his knees with his hands behind his head.

He grinned when he saw her. "Master Tigress! How nice it is to see you again!"

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><p>Mantis woke with a start at a shout from outside the barracks. He made his way to the door, and saw that the other students had also found their way into the hall, confusion written on every face. They jogged quickly from the building, and made their way up to the Hall of Warriors. The group stopped dead in their tracks when they saw the snow leopard kneeling in front of them, along with Shifu standing, fist raised, at his throat. Tai Lung turned his head slightly, and smiled brightly. "Oh good, everyone's here. Would you all mind moving in front of me? I would turn around, but I have a feeling that it will be seen as a threat if I move while Tigress is fetching a pair of handcuffs."<p>

Shifu shouted from his attack stance, as they looked at him with uncertainty. "No! Do not move! Be ready to strike if he so much as flinches!"

Tai Lung spoke calmly. "Come now, Shifu, that just seems rude. I did just deliver myself to your doorstep. You could at least let me properly greet the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior!"

Just then, Tigress returned from the Training Hall with a pair of acupressure handcuffs. She barely acknowledged the other students as she handed the device to Shifu. He spoke before moving to place them. "Tigress, Crane, come here."

Crane seemed to snap out of his shock, and moved to Tai Lung's left while Tigress went to his right. Shifu accepted the handcuffs from Tigress. "Now, I'm going to put these on him. If he moves, _or speaks_, I want you to kill him. No exceptions."

He placed the handcuffs on the snow leopard's wrists behind his back, and locked them into place, earning a shudder from Tai Lung. Shifu continued to give orders to everyone present. "You," he muttered to Tai Lung. "Stand up slowly."

He did, while managing to hold his tongue, and the red panda continued. "Now, to the Training Hall. The rest of you, follow closely and be prepared to fight."

They paraded the captive feline around the Palace grounds to make their way to the Training Hall. As they entered, his eyes widened. "This is new. When did you renovate?"

Shifu glared at him. "Did I not threaten to kill you if you spoke?"

Tai Lung only smirked. "Sweet Father, if you were going to kill me today, you wouldn't have wasted your time dragging me about for even this long."

Shifu shook his head with a scowl, and continued to one of the storage rooms near the back of the Hall. He opened one of the doors, and gestured inside. Tai Lung raised an eyebrow, and spoke dully. "My very own closet? Shifu, you shouldn't have! I'd have been perfectly comfortable sharing your quarters."

Shifu's glare returned. "This _closet _was made into a cell after Fenghuang's return here. It was created to hold especially...dangerous prisoners that we'd like to keep a secret from the public eye."

Tai Lung seemed to consider his words with mock seriousness. "Dangerous? You flatter me. In I go then?"

The red panda nodded, and beckoned the rest of the students to join him. Tai Lung stepped inside, and stood in the center of the small room. Shifu followed him, and attached a large shackle connected to a chain to each of his ankles. He glanced at Po. "Dragon Warrior," he began, deliberately using his title in front of the scowling snow leopard. "Give me that shackle," he continued, indicating toward a metal ring hanging from the ceiling on a much longer chain. Po came into the cell and handed Shifu the shackle. He attached it to Tai Lung's right wrist, and repeated the process on his left.

When he was reasonably secured, Shifu seemed to consider whether to take off the accupressure handcuffs. Tai Lung seemed to read his thoughts. "Shifu, believe it or not, I didn't turn myself in just too see if I could break out."

Crane spoke from outside the cell. "Then why are you here?"

The snow leopard raised an eyebrow. "Alright, I suppose we're diving right in. You may ask me any question, and I will answer it. However, I have three conditions before I speak a word."

Shifu looked up in frustration. "You are a prisoner, Tai Lung. You don't make conditions."

Tai Lung chuckled softly. "Shifu, Shifu, Shifu. I will create conditions, and you will all follow them to the letter. That is, if you hope to learn a thing from me."

Shifu's eyes burned with hatred. "Fine," he spat. "What do you propose?"

Tai Lung nodded, knowing that he'd gained leverage. "First, the immediate issue. I've spent far too long under the effects of accupressure. These handcuffs come off."

Seeing his former master nod, he continued. "Second, I will speak only if a single person is in the Training Hall at that time. Do not test my ability to tell who is where."

Shifu nodded, less certain than the first time. "Lastly, I will only speak to members of the Five. That means not you," pointing at Shifu, "and no panda."

"And why is that?"

He shrugged. "I have nothing to say to you, and I decline to speak to that excuse for a warrior that swiped my scroll out from under me."

Shifu nodded slowly. "I accept these terms. Is there anything else?"

"There is not."

"Very well. Food and water will be brought in a couple hours, and following every meal after that. Until then, settle in. One of the Five will be seeing you soon."

"I look forward to it."

After Shifu released the handcuffs, leaving him chained to the wall, the warriors left the small cell. Tai Lung noticed Tigress glance back with a strongly conflicted look. _Confused? Probably. Angry? I'm betting on it. Apologetic? Doubtful. _The cell door slammed shut, leaving only a short, yet long, rectangular slot in the door to let light in.

_So, who will it be, Shifu? Who will you send in first? _

He smiled in pure self-satisfaction. _Let the game begin._

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><p><strong>Author's Note: Anyone confused yet? I hope so! Chapter 10 should come next weekend, and I'm honestly looking forward to writing it. Another one of my favorite parts of the story. <strong>

**Have a theory on what's going on? Have something on your mind that you'd like to share? A question to ask? Let me know in a review!**


	10. The Merchant Who Wasn't

**Author's Note: Hello, dear readers! Another chapter done, the first questioning of five. Thanks to my reviewers and Surburia for all you do for the story. I'll address the reviews individually below.**

**Tigergirl: That's a wonderful thing for the story right now. Also, you guys will see that Taigress is looking pretty bad in the coming chapters. Still, I'll never rule out a request entirely...**

**katara-zuko1714: Glad you're enjoying the story! I will say that Tai might not be in as great of a position as it seems, regardless of how it looks right now. For the moment, yeah, they're pretty well getting played.**

**Cookie M 2012: Thanks! I didn't intend to keep Yú's location a secret, but I'll be sure to hit on it come chapter 12. Two weeks!**

**minpaponer: I'm sorry to say that the next couple chapters probably won't help with that. I swear, all will be revealed eventually! Glad to hear that you're enjoying the story!**

**HorseStar 1: I'm thrilled to hear that this isn't your average Tai Lung story. I completely agree with you on the usual Taigress story, and while THIS IS NOT A ROMANCE, I hoped to make this one different. Updates come every weekend, so keep an eye out!**

**Also, I have a bone to pick with almost all of you. All but two, actually. I've had TWO PEOPLE respond to the poll so for! Come on, people, help me out here! Please, oh please, take the poll. I want and need your opinion. On with it!**

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><p>The residents of the Jade Palace walked grimly from the building, and Shifu closed the door to the Training Hall.<p>

Monkey managed to speak first. "Gods save us, he's here."

Tigress' eyes were vacant, as she stared off into nothing in particular. "Yes, he is. What I'd like to know is why."

Crane nodded in agreement. "Should we send someone in there? Alone?"

Shifu shook his head, and spoke with a level of command rare even to him. "No. We will send someone in with Tai Lung after we eat. That will hopefully give us enough time to discuss what it is that we hope to accomplish here. And yes, we will comply with his conditions for the time being. If he has to speak to the five of you one at a time to give us the information that we all know he has, then I believe that that is a reasonable sacrifice."

The others nodded. Viper spoke up after a seemingly endless silence. "So...should we go to the barracks and discuss the plan? I feel like we should talk to him while he's willing to talk."

Shifu gave a curt nod, and the warriors paraded into the kitchen. Po began to work on a soup for that night's meal, while the others sat at the table. Mantis wasted little time. "Master Shifu, what is it that you would like us to ask Tai Lung?"

Shifu considered the question as his students listened attentively. "Find out why he is in the Valley. How he has survived the past two years. We must learn how he survived the Wuxi Finger Hold." He stopped to think for a moment before continuing. "It is vital for us to know if he and his men were responsible for the attacks on the coastal villages."

Po glanced at the red panda from his position near the cook fire. "Why is that important? I mean, don't we have Tai Lung captured? That means problem solved, right?"

Shifu closed his eyes and shook his head with frustration. "First and foremost, having Tai Lung as a prisoner does _not _solve any of our problems. Second, I find it unlikely that he would be able to remain undetected for two years if he was raiding villages left and right. If he was not responsible, we must find those that are. Continuing, find out what he was doing near the Valley if he was not pillaging the coastal towns."

Much to everyone's surprise, Shifu seemed to be biting back the pain in his voice. The master had always been in great control of his emotions, and even the smallest slip was a sign of trouble. "Lastly, please attempt to learn whether he...regrets what he has done. I have to know if he still feels that he was in the right."

Most everyone avoided Shifu's gaze, with the exception of Tigress. _Gods help you, Father. Not an hour ago you ordered me to kill Tai if he even spoke, and now you're looking for his apology? You need to choose a side of the spectrum if you hope to accomplish anything with him. I suppose I do as well..._

Po broke the tangible tension with several bowls of his noodle soup. The warriors ate in an uncomfortable silence. The quiet remained long after they had finished their meal.

Viper finally spoke up. "Well, should we get started? Someone should probably bring Tai Lung something to eat anyway."

Tigress nodded when Shifu made no move to answer. "Might as well. Anyone care to go first?"

Viper made an odd attempt to shrug without limbs. "I guess I will. I might need some help with the soup, but I'll speak to him."

Tigress volunteered quickly, earning a quizzical look from Shifu and Crane. She did her best to ignore them. The pair left the barracks, one bearing a bowl of soup and a gourd filled with water.

When they reached the door to the Training Hall, Tigress spoke quietly. "Are you sure about this?"

Viper smiled slightly. "Nope. But, we're all going to question him, might as well get mine out of the way early."

Tigress nodded, and they entered. They made their way to Tai Lung's cell, and opened the lock on the door. When she swung it open, Tai Lung looked up and quickly stood. It was an odd sight, him sitting there. The chains on his hands wouldn't allow them to touch the ground, so he sat with his arms dangling above his head.

He bowed to the masters, and offered a friendly greeting. "Master Viper, it's an honor to meet you under non-lethal circumstances. Master Tigress, nice to see you again."

She growled, and he winced internally. _She might just kill me when she comes to talk._

Viper might have saved his life then and there. "Tigress," she hinted, "he asked to speak to just one of us. Maybe give him those and head back to the barracks?"

She handed him the bowl and water jug without so much as a glance. Tigress stalked out of the room, and Viper smiled apologetically. "She's a bit tense. We all are, I guess."

Tai Lung chuckled softly. "I can't imagine why."

_She's...friendly. Wasn't ready for friendly. I just need to make sure before I try anything stupid._

Ironically enough, Tai Lung's method of ensuring Viper's mentality could very well be suicide if something went wrong. Worse, he never was especially good at subtlety.

"How is your father?"

Viper recoiled in shock. "My father?"

Seeing his nod, she stammered, caught off guard. "Y-you knew m-my father?"

"He never mentioned that?" He nodded once, slowly. "Of course he didn't. Seems like all of China has tried to wipe away my existence. I trained under him in Snake for a few months. Good man, but never seemed to care for teaching. Or maybe he didn't care for me."

Viper sat in silence for a moment, trying to wrap her mind around what she'd been told. _My father trained Tai Lung? How does that never come up? _"He is well. Sorry, I'm just a bit surprised to hear that you learned from him. What were you doing learning Snake Style anyway?"

Tai Lung raised an eyebrow. "Well, I mostly focused on Leopard Style, but I was trained in several others, at least briefly. Wait, are you saying that you're all trained in only one?"

Viper nodded in response. "How would you even learn an Animal Style other than your own?"

He shook his head in disgust. "I swear, no medical training and now this. Shifu is trying to get you all killed." A realization hit him like a stone wall, but he didn't speak it. _Gods, Shifu, please don't let me be right. Even you couldn't...couldn't have lost all trust in your students after me._

He spoke again, trying to put the thought out of his mind. "I learned an adapted Snake. Hell, you could learn Leopard, but not naturally. Natural Styles look different than the adaptations, but the basis is similar for all species."

"Strange. I'll have to ask Shifu about that."

"How did he feel about you training in Kung Fu?"

"What?"

"What did your father think of you training?"

Viper studied the snow leopard, aprehensive about speaking of her past to him, of all people. "My father was...reluctant. He never really supported my training until Oogway spoke to him about the possibility of me joining the Jade Palace."

He nodded. "I'm sorry for that." He hesitated, seemingly considering his next words. "I'm sure he saw what my...obsession, of sorts, had turned me into. He wouldn't have wanted the possibility of that in you."

Viper was stunned at the apology. "Thank you, for that. But, I suppose it had a happy ending. He's long since accepted it, and we're on better terms than ever."

Realizing that at this point they were simply chatting, she redirected the conversation. "I need to ask you a few things."

"Of course! I did...sort of promise that."

"Right. Why turn yourself in, Tai Lung? What could you stand to gain from being locked up in here?"

"What could I gain? Little to nothing, but there is more to my decision than personal benefit. Do you mind if I answer that with a story that is unrelated to me directly?"

"Will it answer the question?"

"I think you'll be able to piece it together."

Viper nodded quickly. "In that case, I don't see why not."

He seemed to settle in, and spoke slowly, as if he hoped to add effect. _Well, it is a story. It makes sense that he'd be dramatic. _

"A merchant and his wife have a son. They live in his shop, as his family has for generations. Time goes by, and the boy grows into a man. He eventually takes over his father's business. He marries, has children. He takes care of his parents, his wife, his children. He's...happy. One day the merchant leaves town to gather new wares."

His voice grew softer, and darker as he spoke. "The man returned to his home several days later to find that everything that he had in the world was gone. His wares were destroyed, his home burned. His family...slaughtered. In that moment of anguish, he makes a vow to himself. Whoever was responsible would pay.

"He dedicates himself to his promise. Travels the countryside in hopes of some scrap of evidence that he might one day avenge his family. Years pass. The man's pain becomes...corrupted. He is no longer avenging his family, he has become a machine with but a single goal: Revenge for his pain, not that of his family, and at any cost. He loses sight of all that he was in favor of a new man, if he could be called that."

Viper found herself avoiding his gaze, which was directed in no particular direction. The look of a hollow soul. He continued, his voice barely above a whisper. "One day the man, the merchant who is no longer a merchant, looks back at the destruction that he has left in his wake. He realizes that it is now _he _who destroys, _he _who burns, _he _who slaughters.

"Most of all, he knows that in the end, it is he who must pay."

The snow leopard and the snake sat in silence for a seemingly endless moment before Viper spoke again. "Thank you. Sorry, I'll be back in a few minutes. I...need a little time to think."

He nodded solemnly. "Of course. All the time you need. It's not like I'm going anywhere."

Viper left the cell, closing the door behind her. Tai Lung sighed, placing the bowl of soup at his feet for later. He muttered to himself softly. "Oh damn, I think I chased away my appetite."

Viper left the Training Hall with thoughts racing. _That is not the man I met on the Thread of Hope. A husk of that man, maybe, but not the same. So, he's realized that he has left a trail of pain and suffering, and decided that it's time to pay for his crimes? It makes sense, I suppose. He's sure not here to attack the Valley. If he were, he could have with ease. He turned himself in instead. I need to learn more from him, but this is a side of him that I didn't even know existed._

She didn't get the chance to do so that night, however. She found herself back in the barracks, ignoring the questions from the other students and Shifu, and in her room. Sleep refused to find her, and a soft knock came from her doorframe.

She was surprised to hear Crane's concerned voice on the other side. "Viper, can I come in?"

Seeing that she had little choice, she answered in the affirmative. Crane slipped inside and closed the door. "Are you alright?"

Viper turned away. "I'm fine. Just a little shaken."

Crane moved in front of her, concern written on his face. "What happened in there? You didn't...seem yourself when you came back in."

"He told me that he knew my father, and proceeded to tell me that he realized that it was time to pay for his crimes. I think."

Crane's look moved from concern to confusion. "You think?"

"He told a story, and said that it wasn't about him. It was a very...indirect answer. That's just what I gathered. That's also all I managed to ask, too. I was just in shock hearing _Tai Lung_ say that he knew it was time to face the consequences of his actions. I left, came in here, and now you're caught up."

Crane nodded slowly. "Yes, that's very...unlike him. How can you be sure he's telling the truth?"

She winced. "I guess I can't be sure. But there was something about him, Crane. He looked...sincere. I don't think it's possible to fake that look."

He nodded again. "Well, I think we still need to be cautious. He didn't seem terribly full of regret four days ago when he fought the three of us and threw me on the beach, capturing Tigress. That's a pretty massive change."

"I guess that's true. Still, I have a feeling that we're missing part of Tai Lung's story. From him, or from everyone else."

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><p><strong>Author's Note: So, remember when I said I had a bunch of songs lined up to go with the story? Well, that much is true (23 so far!), but the thing is that they seem to fall into around three spots in the story. They're coming, I promise. Another Tai Lung one this time, offers some insight into his thoughts. At least those that he has expressed to Viper...<strong>

**Moving On - Asking Alexandria**

**Part One of this story is nearing its end. I'd put it at around four chapters? Give or take? Hope you enjoyed! Review, and take the damned poll, for goodness sake. Until next time!**


	11. Bent

**Author's Note: Hello readers! I apologize for the slight delay, but I'll probably switch to updating on Monday or Tuesday for a while. I've found that _everyone _updates on the weekend, and this story got bumped off of the first page in about a day. Not too great for getting views, so I'll give this a try.**

**No one else took the poll in the past week. I don't know what you want me to do. Please? Please take the poll? It takes thirty seconds, and it'll really help me out down the road.**

**Thanks to Surburia for reading over this chapter, I don't know how I got by before you're help.**

**Tigergirl713: I'm glad you think so! Thanks for the review!**

**Cookie M 2012: Oh good, that was a surprise! I was a bit nervous throwing that bit in, but keep an eye out for another monologue or two. Don't worry, I don't intend to let this one drop unfinished. Good question, but you know I can't answer that :) **

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><p><em>He looked at the fallen tiger, expressionless. Chéng called out to his brother. "Hēi? Are you alright?"<em>

_Hearing no response, the striped cat ran to his brother's side. He kneeled down, checking for a breath, and looked toward Tai with horror. Chéng began to slur his words as he spoke. "Tai, he's...he's not...b-breathing. H-help me, p-please."_

_The other tiger crumpled to the ground near his fallen sibling, and only then did Tai Lung make his way to them._

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><p>Tai snapped awake to find Monkey staring nervously from inside the cell. He yelped. "Master Monkey, for the love of the gods, say something and wake me up instead of watching me sleep. Brings back bad memories."<p>

Monkey raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? What sort of memories?"

The spotted cat wiped the sleep out of his eyes, ignoring the question. "Is it morning?"

He received a look of irritation, but Monkey answered. "It is. You were moaning in your sleep."

"Was I? Well, figures, I suppose. Call it a...recurring nightmare."

He studied the primate, now that he was in only a moderate stupor. _I know that face, but not on him._

"You look incredibly familiar, Master Monkey, and not from the two times we met. Do you have older siblings, important parents?"

Monkey hesitated for the briefest moment, and Tai Lung didn't give him a chance to recover. His eyes snapped open, now fully awake, when the realization hit him.

"Holy hell, you have a brother, don't you?"

Monkey avoided his oddly excited look. "I don't know what you're talking about, Tai Lung."

He only laughed, bordering on hysterics. "Oh gods, this is fantastic! Master Monkey of the Jade Palace, member of the famed Furious Five. And his brother? The _also_ famed Kàn Bùjiàn De Shôu! The Invisible Hand himself, master thief known all across the country! Now how in the depths of hell does that happen?"

Monkey appeared to be fuming, his teeth clenched as well as his fists. "I am not my brother. How the hell did you even piece that together?"

Tai Lung's grin never faded as he spoke. "I was part of the group that tracked him down, all those years ago. I'll never forget that face, and you share it. Is that why you took up the art?" His smile shifted to one void of humor, and his voice picked up a serious yet sarcastic tone as he spoke. "To...drive away the darkness in your branch of the family tree?"

Monkey was trapped by a man chained to the wall. _No, no it is not. I wasn't much better than my brother. Street thief for years, until Oogway brought me to the Palace. Not that you need to know any of that. _"More or less. I have a few questions to ask, if it's all the same to you."

_Yeah, this one will be far easier. As long as he doesn't leave as quickly as Master Viper did. _"Oh, I suppose. Did Master Viper make it back safely last night? She said she'd be back in a minute, and never returned."

"Viper is fine. Were you responsible for the attacks on the coastal towns over the past few weeks?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Master Monkey, just how stupid do you think I am? You didn't know that I existed for two years, do you honestly think that I was raiding villages all that time? I wouldn't have stayed hidden for a _month_ if I was."

"Then what were you doing in the area? You were rather close to the Valley for a criminal of your fame."

_Because I'm quite certain that that damned hammer hit something important in my head nine years ago. _He shrugged. "I met with a handful of...associates. They insisted on the location, in spite of my protests. We stopped to purchase supplies when you three stumbled into me."

Monkey grew even more alert following his response. "What sort of associates?"

Tai Lung gave a glare, studying the warrior in front of him. "None of your concern. Is that all, or were there other items on Shifu's questionnaire?"

Monkey was quick to answer, and was quieted even quicker. "Shifu didn't give us-"

"Oh save it, none of these questions are original. Which is a bit disappointing, I might add."

"And why is that?"

The snow leopard's smile was predatory. "You learn so much more about a man from conversation than from preparation."

Monkey shifted, growing less comfortable by the moment. "How did you survive the Wuxi Finger Hold?"

Tai Lung's smile appeared more genuine than before as he answered. "Every technique can be beaten, and I have a feeling that you don't know half of the techniques. How could you possibly understand how the Hold was beaten?"

The primate was growing irritated. "That doesn't answer the question, Tai Lung."

He earned a bored look from the feline. "Nor will anything you're likely to get out of me."

"We'll circle back. Do you feel that what you did all those years ago to the people of the Valley, as well as to your masters was right?"

He shook his head, and noticing Monkey's surprised look, explained. "I stopped classifying actions as right or wrong long before that day."

"Why the change?"

"I'll give you an example, though I'm afraid it's not the original reason. On my ship, I brought in men that would have no trouble with crime. The thing is that they weren't all career criminals. Some just needed a way out. I noticed something a couple of months in. A few of the men were refusing to spend a coin, others taking reduced rations at each meal. I asked them about it one day. I learned that most had families on land, and they sent every coin they made and the food they ate home. They supported their families by stealing before, and they continued to do so after they joined me. Surely you understand, with a brother that did the same thing, correct?"

Monkey was torn concerning his response. _Yeah, my brother did something similar. And when he was caught, so did I...still, that isn't a reason to accept his ideology. _"You said you changed your thoughts on right and wrong. What was the change?"

Tai Lung made a point to stare at Monkey with as much intensity as he could manage. "Necessary and unnecessary. To answer the original question, yes, what I did was...necessary."

The two stood in silence for a moment before Monkey continued slowly. "Why did you turn yourself in, Tai Lung?"

He took a deep breath before responding. "I've come to die at home."

Monkey recoiled slightly in surprise. "You've what?"

The snow leopard nodded. "I've had a long run, Master Monkey. Given, most of it was wasted, but it's time for me to leave this world. If I'm going to go, which I would anyway now that I've been found even if I ran, than I'd rather have it be here than in a place I've never known."

His ears perked up at the sound of a door opening. He sighed. "But, that's enough for the moment. Someone's here."

As if on cue, Viper slid into the room. She looked up at Monkey. "Shifu asked me to relieve you, if it's a good time."

Monkey glanced at Tai Lung before nodding. "Sure, I don't think there's much more for us to discuss. Good luck."

He left the cell and Tai Lung smiled warmly. "Hello again, Master Viper. You had me a bit worried last night. I trust you're feeling better?"

She returned the smile. "Thank you, and yes, I'm fine. I was just a bit surprised to hear your answer as to what you were doing here."

He shrugged. "Most only see me as one sided. There's always more to the story. Have you come to continue our little chat?"

"If it's alright with you."

"Sure, sure. You're by far the most...pleasant to talk to of the four I've seen so far." _Second, actually, but I see no need to hurt Tigress' chances of keeping face._

Viper had to think for a moment before remembering Tigress and Crane on his ship. "Thank you. Now, what were you doing near the Valley in the last few weeks?"

He shook his head, nearly disgusted. "One of my men managed to lose our map of the area. I was sailing blind, and by the time I realized where we were, the other three were all but upon me."

"You're saying that you did not raid those villages on the coast?"

"You're all going to ask all of these questions, aren't you? No, I did not attack those towns."

She laughed slightly, and continued when she saw Tai Lung's confusion. "I have to ask, how did you manage to stay hidden for the past two years? We never had a clue."

He shrugged again. "I traveled south for a time, met up with a few old friends and bought the ship. Where is it, by the way?"

"The ship?"

He nodded.

"It came in this morning, it's down at the docks."

He laughed softly. "That's good to hear. I was a bit concerned that it would sink on the way over." Noting her look of perplexion, he elaborated. "We sailed into a stone that put a hole in the hull. When you caught up to me, we were beached to make repairs."

Viper nodded slowly, and continued. "I need to know how you survived the Wuxi Finger Hold."

Tai Lung sighed with exasperation. _This is growing tedious. Now come the challenging bits. _"Master Viper, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. The Wuxi Finger Hold doesn't exist."

She recoiled in surprise as her suspicion of the snow leopard rose back from the odd moment of trust she'd felt the night before. "It doesn't exist. That sounds a bit odd coming from someone who has seen it used firsthand."

He shook his head. "I don't know _what_ the hell that panda used on me, but the Wuxi Finger Hold is a scare tactic that masters use on their students. Shifu still hasn't told you all that? Some with as much experience as you five have students of their own." _Of course, seeing that he's quite literally orchestrating your deaths, it shouldn't come as a shock._

Viper snapped him out of his thoughts. "You'll forgive me if I have a difficult time believing that. I have one more question for you."

"And that would be?"

"Do you ever regret the things you did all those years ago?"

Tai Lung raised an eyebrow. "I'll need you to specify what those 'things' are before I can answer that."

She met his oddly comfortable gaze. "Destroying the Valley of Peace, killing innocent people, and returning here to do the same thing two years ago."

He sighed. "I'll just go in order. My so called 'destruction' of the Valley has been greatly exaggerated over the years. For one thing, no one died that day. My destruction was confined to a couple of...unfortunately placed buildings that fell victim to my drunken...stumbling. As far as returning here, I'll ask you a couple of questions. What do you know about solitary confinement?"

"Hold on. You're saying that you're rampage consisted only of you stumbling into a couple of buildings?"

The feline grimaced. "Erm...there may have been a lantern knocked over that lit a fire spreading farther than I mentioned. But, I don't claim control of the flame. Other than that, yes, that's the truth."

"What makes you think that I'll believe that you're being honest and that Master Shifu has lied all these years?"

His face fell. "Should have known that you heard the story from my dear father. I suppose whether to believe a word that I say is your choice to make. I will, however, ask you this. Who has more to gain from lying to you? If I am deceiving you, I'm still stuck here at the end of the day. Now Shifu? He's surrounded by the equivalent of an army that takes every word out of his mouth for gold. Now, I still owe you an answer, and to reach it, I'll need a couple from you. What do you know of solitary confinement and sensory deprivation?"

She almost missed the question as she considered his words. She managed to snap back into reality. "Solitary confinement is usually used to punish prisoners by removing them from any interactions outside of their guards. I don't know very much about sensory deprivation, only that some use it to channel their chi."

He nodded with approval. "And of its effects on the prisoner?"

"I haven't heard of the effects that the practices have."

"Not surprising. Allow me to...enlighten you. Solitary is used to punish prisoners, but most do not remain there for longer than two or three months, in order to prevent permanent effects. Sensory deprivation is a nasty piece of work. It generally includes removing the ability to see or hear for a given period of time. As you say, some use it to channel their energy, but never longer than for a single day, for the same reason.

"If these limits are crossed, one often experiences hallucinations, panic attacks, obsession with an idea or concept, paranoia, poor impulse control, and the complete inability to think rationally. Now, I'm not telling you this to gain pity. I committed crimes, and I was punished for doing so. However, I feel that it is important for you to understand as well as possible why I came back.

"These effects begin to take place after three weeks in solitary confinement, or a couple of days in sensory deprivation. I spent _twenty years_ in solitary. If that wasn't enjoyable enough, I spent a great deal of time going through sensory deprivation. For _five years,_ beginning my first day in Chorh-Gom Prison, I was blindfolded, as well as deafened with cloth under the blindfold positioned over my ears."

Viper listened in horror as he spoke of his experience, considering the information that he had provided just moments before. _No damn wonder he was insane when he broke out. _He never stopped speaking, and she couldn't think of a word to respond with.

"The goal, I've come to believe, was to destroy my mind altogether. Obliterate any desire to escape the Anvil's grasp. I'll never understand how I hung on all that time, but I was far from unaffected. There was an odd state of existence that I discovered during that time. Nowhere near alive, but not quite dead either.

"When I did finally escape, two of the symptoms that I listed before caused my return. Obsession with the Dragon Scroll, and the complete inability to think about what the hell I was doing. Eventually, I began to recover, and I saw what I had become. I knew then that I would have to pay for all that I'd done, before and after that prison."

He gave a dry smile. "And that concludes my tale of hell on earth."

Viper remained speechless for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, she managed to find a few words. "I'm sorry, Tai Lung. I'm sorry for your pain. Thank you for sharing it, I needed to hear...I needed some sort of assurance that you've been sincere."

He nodded. "I should thank you. I don't...really talk about those years often. Can I ask you a favor, though?"

"Of course."

"Please don't tell anyone about this. Not everyone will see the truth in it as you have."

She hesitated before answering. _That's true enough. Everything he's said so far seems possible if nothing else. I still need to make sure of a few things, but until then, what harm could it do? _"Sure, Tai Lung. Our little secret, and one that I won't forget."

He smiled after she left the cell. _Two down, three to go. Let's just hope they do their jobs when the time comes._

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><p><strong>Author's Note: I had to laugh at myself after I wrote this. I watched Silence of the Lambs for the first time the day after I finished the chapter, and realized that I'm writing Tai Lung...just...<strong>_**so much **_**like Hannibal Lector (minus the cannibalism). Seriously, totally unintentional, but it was perfect. **

**A couple of songs to go with this chapter. Now, these still aren't too bad/heavy (in my opinion), but the majority of these are going to be hard rock. I'll let you know if a song is explicit, but I thought I'd tell you that much now. The first one goes with Monkey's questioning, the second with Viper's second try. Let me know what you think of them, or shoot me a suggestion. I'll see if I can fit in in someplace.**

**Wrong Side Of Heaven - Five Finger Death Punch**

**Tomorrow - Sixx: A.M.**

**Please leave a review, even as a guest. They get me in the mood to write, and I'd like to know what you are all thinking. I want to hear some ideas as to what is going on here! Also, I'm still free to Beta if anyone is in the market. Shoot me a PM, we can talk. Hope you enjoyed, and see you next week!**


	12. Blind Fish

**Author's Note: Hello, all! Not a ton to address here, but I'll hit on a few points from your reviews. Thanks to Surburia for helping me out with the story, and thank you to the reader who took my poll. I'd love to see a few (or a lot) more opinions, but I'll take what I can get. Part 1 is coming to a close soon, probably at chapter 15. I've finished the next chapter, and I literally can't wait to hear some reactions through then. That includes this chapter, so leave a review if you have the time! Speaking of, thanks to...**

**Tigergirl713: Wait no longer! I'll make it through the roster, but I made sure to throw Tigress in this chapter. Thanks for the regular reviews, I really appreciate the support!**

**Cookie M 2012: No, they certainly were not! Our (my...) favorite snow leopard is certainly skilled in his speech, but you'll have to wait and see just were it leads him. As I said above, thanks for your regular reviews. I love opening this story up throughout the week just to see if you guys have said anything!**

**clemia10: Oh good, I was starting to get concerned! Something tells me that the threats will start flying again soon, though. I'm glad you brought up the series, because I need to talk about that a bit. I do sprinkle in the series, but some events are excluded to make the plot work more smoothly. I try to avoid referencing it directly, as that would usually lead to having to use other aspects of the show that don't fit. I actually just started reading _A New Lesson _a few days ago, and I would agree. When I get around to exposing Tai's backstory, it may make sense as to why I'm a bit more sympathetic than most I've seen. Mantis is also in this chapter, but it's...not exactly for comic relief. I tried writing comedy before I came to FanFiction, and I'm just not that funny in pixels. Also, I'll see what I can do about finding a place for Shifu. Thanks for the ideas, and hope to hear from you again this week!**

**Newton xpt: Well thanks! Made my day when I saw your review. Hopefully your opinion doesn't change!**

**More later, but for now, enjoy!**

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><p>Shifu had moved training to the courtyard indefinitely in an effort to avoid as much contact with Tai Lung as possible. Tigress noticed that her father was much more reclusive than usual, which was always a cause for concern. She could only speculate as to why he was so uncomfortable, especially before speaking with Tai. <em>He's afraid of Tai's presence here, but is it because he knows something? Or is Shifu simply worried that Tai will attack the Valley again...for the third time? <em>

She sat trying to meditate, failing hopelessly. _Might as well get this over with. With any luck, talking to him will clear things up. _She breathed out a laugh. _As if. He's never cleared up a thing._

She stood and walked from the courtyard to the Training Hall. The others had broken for lunch, and she debated finding something for the snow leopard. _I'll get him something after. If he's hungry enough, he might actually be helpful._

Tigress cracked open the door to the Training Hall, slipping inside. She made her way to Tai's cell at the back of the open room, and unlocked the door.

He smiled as she entered. "Tigress, what a pleasant-"

She threw a punch at his stomach, and his greeting was cut off as he lost his breath. He choked out a question between gasps. "What...the hell...was...that?"

Tigress was overcome with a sudden rage. "Have you lost your mind? I risked _everything _to give you a chance to escape, and you turn yourself in? Where is your daughter?"

He was still sputtering as she spoke, but he finally managed to find his breath. "That...is _not _okay. Yú's safe, she's staying with an old friend."

She shook her head, not yet satisfied. "What sort of friend did you leave your daughter with?"

His sarcasm recovered soon after his ability to breathe. "A band of murderers a few miles west of here. Do you have no faith in me at all? She's with the man who patched me up after my fight with the Dragon Warrior. He's married and has a daughter of his own. Honest man, has a farm a ways away from here. They were happy to take care of her when I was...no longer able."

Tigress had relaxed slightly upon hearing of Yú's safety. She was, however, far from pleased. "No longer able?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Do you think Shifu's just going to let me walk out of here? I'll tell you what I told Master Monkey, I'd rather die at home than in someplace I've never seen. As far as the risk you took, I cannot thank you enough. Because of what you did, Yú has a home with people that will love her as their own. She'll be taken care of with them. But I couldn't go."

She shook her head with surprise. _He's not wrong. Shifu doesn't seem too eager to let him go free. _"You had a chance to disappear. You did it before. You could have done it again. Why did you come back here instead?"

He turned his head slightly, and shrugged. "When I was up north in the guard, I remember going to a restaurant one evening. I was alone, and an owl came in. He sat at the table next to me, and we started talking. This guy was a _real _brain, half of what he said passed over me. He said he was a researcher, and he spoke of the work of one of his colleagues.

"This owl, I forget his name, told me about a group of fish, of a species widely known for their natural beauty. This group of fish ended up caught in a cave, entirely cut off from the outside world. The cave...caved in on top of their exit. Their new world was entirely devoid of light, and almost devoid of life. One would expect the fish to die out quickly in the darkness, their old world left behind. But these fish did not die out. They...thrived in the darkness. Adapted to it, becoming more and more built for their new environment, while at the same time losing everything that had made them the beautiful creatures they were.

"As the years passed, as the generations passed, these fish lost their scales, lost their color, lost even their _eyes_, as they were unnecessary in the total darkness. They became...grotesque creatures, repulsive even. Well, long after that owl left, I sat in that restaurant thinking."

Tai smiled slightly, although his eyes weren't focused. Tigress followed his tale with curiosity, searching for the point he was trying to reach.

He spoke softly, his gaze meeting hers. "I was wondering, all that time, what would have happened if the light had found its way into that cave? If the fish, which had grown so accustomed to the darkness, which had lost everything that had made them what they were, which had lost the ability to see the world around them, would even know that the light was there. If they could somehow _feel_ its presence.

"A few days ago, I found the answer. They would know, and they would _never_ be able to watch it go away. I wasn't able to watch the light I've found leave so soon after I found it. So, I did what I had to do in order to...feel the light again."

Tigress shook her head with disbelief. "You cannot be serious. You turned yourself in just to be around me after all of two days together?"

Tai nodded. "In essence, yes, that's why I came back. Among other things."

She adopted a scowl, to his visible disappointment.

"Ah. Perhaps I should have known better than to be so direct."

"After everything you've done, you expect me to be your 'light'? I know what you did to the Zhang brothers. What I'd like to know is why you wanted me to know it."

He raised an eyebrow. "Your tone is...concerning. What exactly did you hear?"

"I heard that you murdered them on a mission days before your destruction of the Valley."

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Is that the story they tell?"

Seeing Tigress' nod, he looked to her eyes, which were avoiding his own. "Do you believe that to be the truth?"

"Why shouldn't I?"

Tai's temper flared, and his answer came as a shout. "Because I loved them as my own family!"

She recoiled in response to the sudden outburst. "If you didn't kill them, then what _did_ happen?"

He shook his head quickly, frustrated. "We should move on. I'm feeling a strong urge to hit something, and I've found it to be...unwise to encourage that urge."

"Fine. Why did you want the Dragon Scroll so badly?"

Tai grimaced, still angered. "You're pushing me, Tigress. But, I did promise answers. Everyone assumes that I tried to take the Scroll because I felt _entitled _to it, that I felt I deserved it. To some degree, that may have been true. I was a prodigy, at the time it made no sense that I wouldn't have it. But that pushed me to work harder for it, not to take it."

His expression softened, then became filled with pain as he continued. "I tried to take that scroll because I _needed _it. Right person or not, I needed the Scroll. And to answer the unspoken question that Shifu gave you, the only thing I regret about that day was not doing what I set out to do."

_What the hell is he saying? He needed it? What would make him turn against the Palace without regrets?_

"The Dragon Scroll is blank. Having it would accomplish nothing."

He nodded. "Yes, and as...disappointing as that may be, I could have at least known that I had everything at my disposal that I could have."

"What does that mean? You would have everything at your disposal?"

"None of your concern at the moment. Is there anything else, or is it my turn?"

"Sure, I've got a question. Both times that Viper has spoken to you, she's come out uncharacteristically saddened, while Monkey seemed much more anxious and...angered than she was. Care to elaborate?"

Tai raised an eyebrow, smirking. "I can't control how they feel about what they hear from me."

"Cut the crap, something's off about this entire picture. What's your game?"

He held up his hands in mock surrender, and the chains rattled. "You and I are more similar than I think you're willing to accept, Tigress. There are certain...negative implications of that fact. I don't want to see you travel the same path that I found all those years ago. As far as my so-called game, I'm simply carrying out my answers to the three of you that I've seen thus far. Loose ends have been...tied, if you catch my meaning."

"Do you actually mean to tell me that you came here to be killed?"

He shook his head slightly. "Not...exactly. I've come to pay for what I've done, and to find out just what that means. If that means death, well, I can still say that I don't fear it."

"Back up a moment. What does any of this have to do with me?"

"Let me ask you this, Tigress. What do you fight for here?"

"Peace."

He shot back his response immediately. "Wrong. You cannot _fight _for peace. If I were to wager, I'd say you fought for justice. Now, what is justice, or rather, what have you been taught to see justice as?"

Tigress felt her claws slide out. "What are you doing?"

Tai's eyes were growing feral. "Answer the question, Tigress."

"Why? Why are you doing this?"

He softened considerably. "Tigress...if you do not let me do this, my return will have been pointless. Please."

She hesitated before giving in. "Justice is preventing wrong from occurring and punishing those who bring it accordingly."

He dipped his head in thanks. "I apologize for my shortness, but I ask that you never forget the answer you just gave."

She sighed. _I can't keep doing this. What are you talking about, Tai?_

"Why do I have a feeling that you're manipulating me?"

"Because I am. But I promise you, it is for your benefit."

"And how is that?"

He shook his head sadly. "I can't tell you that, Tigress. You'll understand when the time comes. I can't let you make my mistakes."

"Tai, I need you to give me _something._"

"In time, I may. Depends on how much time I have to work with. Did you by chance ask Shifu about the Palace Library?"

Tigress was less than happy about being redirected, but she also wanted to learn about that issue. "Shifu dodged the subject, clearly made up an answer. Why is it so important?"

He smiled. "Let's put it this way. You think that I'm being manipulative? I've had less than a week to work with. Shifu's had years to mold his toy soldiers. Don't forget that either, actually."

She stood in shock. _Gods, it makes sense. Shifu teaches us how to think, while preventing us from seeing anything that contradicts his lessons. That would explain the Zhang brothers disappearing from history, as well as his nervousness when I asked about it. But just what the hell is Tai trying to accomplish here? Prevent me from going down his path by telling me exactly...nothing?_

"Tigress, thank you for what you did for me. You've given me a chance to do something wonderful, and words cannot describe my gratitude. Please come back, we have more to discuss. But, we are no longer alone."

She whipped around in a panic to see Mantis making his way across the Training Hall._ Gods help me if he heard a word of that._

He didn't seem to. "Tigress, thought I might find you here. Glad to see that you're both still in one piece."

Tai answered before she had a chance. "Yes, Master Mantis, we were just...finishing up. It's an honor to meet you."

Mantis raised a brow. "I wish I could say the same, Tai Lung."

_Oh good, another one. More the merrier, I suppose. They'll need the support if this has a hope of working._ "Charming. Well, you both know the rules. Goodbye to one of you."

Tigress left, but not before shooting him an irritated glare. _That one's the real danger, everyone else is playing along rather nicely._

"I have a few questions."

"Of course you do. I could recite them for you if you'd like. I've been through the list three times now."

Mantis glared. "That won't be necessary. How did you survive the Wuxi Finger Hold?"

_Kill me now. _"No idea. I guess the gods weren't ready for me just then."

"You don't know?"

"That's what I said, isn't it?"

Mantis ignored the snow leopard's sarcasm. "How did you manage to stay hidden for the past two years?"

"Do you all intend to starve me to death?"

The insect was caught off guard. "What?"

"No one brought in breakfast...or lunch. I'm growing concerned that Shifu plans to watch me waste away in here instead of ending things quickly."

"I'll have someone fetch something. Back to the question."

Tai Lung sighed, exasperated. "You know, when you turn your back on such a noble cause as the Jade Palace, and manage to escape its grasp after two decades off duty, there are certain...groups...that are willing to watch after you."

"What sort of groups?"

He shrugged. "An organization for those that have accepted darkness as their true calling. Having a knack for making trouble never hurts. And the thing is, none of you know of our existence, and that makes us all the more dangerous."

Mantis shifted nervously. "Us?"

Tai Lung stared menacingly. "You think I'm at the bottom of the ladder? They gave me a ship and a crew, to do with what I wish. That is...until they have a job that needs done."

That did little to calm the insect. "Why are you here, Tai Lung?"

He grinned. "To rain hell on the Valley of Peace from inside this cell. Let me give you a warning, Master Mantis. In six days, my...associates will arrive. You should prepare yourself for the fight of your life in that time."

Mantis left the cell quickly, terrified by the feline's words. _He's taking his revenge on the Valley...again. And this time he has support to do it._

Back in his cell, Tai Lung smiled slightly at his work. _This is going swimmingly. The endgame is...less than ideal. But, she gave me a chance to be free. It's only right that I return the favor, isn't it?_

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><p><strong>Author's Note: Aaannnndd we're back to confused. I hope. I'd love to hear some theories as to what Tai is planning, so let me know in a review!<strong>

**As much as I wish I could take full credit for the "fish speech", it was heavily inspired by The Blacklist (S2E9). I made a few tweaks, but it was far from original.**

**Another handful of songs that work well in my opinion. Is anyone actually listening to these? I promise, they'll help the story, if not now, then absolutly later. I'll let you know when one is pretty much mandatory, but give them a listen if you can. Always open to suggestions if there's one you'd like to see. Just have to let me know! First two go with Tigress' conversation, and the third goes with Mantis'.**

**Cold - Five Finger Death Punch**

**Viva La Vida - Coldplay**

**Bad Company - Five Finger Death Punch (or by Bad Company if you're utterly against hard rock, but FFDP is much...angrier, which fits the story better)**

**A few of these bands are going to come up regularly, but I only stick in a song if I think it works well/helps show emotion. There are a couple bands that can do both pretty regularly. So, hope you enjoyed! Leave a review if you'd like, and please take the poll if you haven't. **


	13. The Last Piece

**Author's Note: Hello all! One big update before I get to reviews. I am unofficially dropping the "Alternate Path" story, and making that into this one. While the split wouldn't have happened yet, I just don't think it would work as well as I'd like with the ending I've been planning all along. That means, surprise! I have no idea where this story's going to end now. But, I do know that Part 1 is coming to a close with Chapter 15. Getting closer!**

**Cookie M 2012: I'm flattered! I can agree with that, though it would be a bit counterproductive for the plot it Tigress ripped Tai's head off right then and there. Glad you're enjoying the story, I always love seeing your reviews!**

**Tigergirl713: Yeah...you'll see a few more before the story is through. My goodness you people are so hopeful for that pairing! Forget clemia10, you might be the one that kills me if I don't work this out! (Kidding clemia10, I would never forget you :) )**

**katara-zuko1714: How do I say this without sounding like a jerk...Tai Lung is playing in the sense that Napoleon played _Risk._ Might be a bad analogy, but you know I can't give you a straight up answer to that! Glad you like the story!**

**Shshdjfjf: First of all, did you sneeze out that pen name? I kid, I kid. I'm glad you're enjoying the story! **

**I'd love to see some new faces on the review page, so drop me your thoughts! Thanks to Surburia, here's 13...**

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><p>Mantis left the Training Hall as quickly as he could. Searching desperately, he finally found Crane stretching near the barracks. "Crane!"<p>

Crane looked down at the insect. "Mantis, you look like you've seen a ghost. What's wrong?"

"You need to get in there and talk to Tai Lung. Now. Where's Master Shifu?"

The bird gave Mantis an odd look. "He's down in the Valley. Mantis, what's going on?"

Mantis was already on his way toward the stairs leading to the Valley of Peace. "Tai Lung is being broken out in a matter of days, and attacking when his allies arrive."

Crane stood, dumbfounded, as Mantis hurried to find Shifu. _Gods, it's happening. _He hurried off toward the Training Hall as soon as he recovered.

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><p><em>"Do you think we'll run into trouble on the road, Tai?"<em>

_He chuckled at the tiger's hope for action. "Considering that our job is to retrieve an artifact from Master Snow Leopard, I doubt it. There's a reason that Oogway chose this for your first mission."_

_The other brother decided to chime in. "You never know, Tai. The villagers mentioned bandits on this trail. We might actually end up having to finally use all this training!"_

_"The villagers talked about one group of bandits that were in the area months ago. No one in their right mind would stick around a place like this for that long. You know, if you two are itching so badly for a fight, I'd be happy to hand you your tails when we set up camp for the night."_

_Both tigers grinned at his challenge. "Deal," the twins naturally replied in unison._

_He smiled at the prospect of a sparring match. But that would have to wait. They had another eight miles to cover that day, and stopping to fight would do them little good._

_By nightfall, the three cats had set up their canvas tents and lit a small fire. After enjoying a light dinner of soup, the tigers took to opposite sides of Tai Lung. He never turned down a challenge, which the, albeit green, warriors on either side of him rarely failed to provide in their training._

_When pitted against a master of Leopard Style, a tiger stood little chance. Leopard was designed to best Tiger in a fight between evenly matched fighters. Two Tigers made for a more interesting match._

_He was about to begin the fight, but Chéng beat him to it. "Ready, Spots?"_

_Tai smirked. "I'm already going to beat you, Chéng. You don't need to piss me off."_

_Hēi took the liberty of answering for him. "He's ready. Let's go!" _

_All three felines set their feet, with Tai Lung preparing to defend against two attackers. The tigers lunged at him simultaneously, but Hēi stumbled. Tai turned his attention to Chéng, before noticing that the other twin had stopped, and was looking past him. Tai Lung turned around to see Hēi stand, only to crumple to the ground._

_He looked at the fallen tiger, expressionless. Chéng called out to his brother. "Hēi? Are you alright?"_

_Hearing no response, the striped cat ran to his brother's side. He kneeled down, checking for a breath, and looked toward Tai with horror. Chéng began to slur his words as he spoke. "Tai, he's...he's not...b-breathing. H-help me, p-please."_

_The other tiger crumpled to the ground near his fallen sibling, and only then did Tai Lung make his way to them._

_The snow leopard's pace quickened, and he made it to the tigers in a matter of seconds. He realized that the situation was far more dire than he'd thought only seconds before. The twins had never been above a practical joke every now and then, but he had a feeling that they couldn't halt their pulses on command. _

_Tai Lung failed in every attempt to awaken the fallen tigers. Looking back to their small encampment for something he could use to revive the brothers, he felt a stab in his right shoulder blade. He stood instantly, plucked a minute dart out of his shoulder, and whipped around toward the tree line. He spotted a number of hooded figures before being struck with another dart, this time in his neck. His vision blurred, and he collapsed to the ground, watching their assailants draw closer before losing consciousness._

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><p>The snow leopard woke in a cold sweat, drinking deeply from the clay pot of water that his jailers actually remembered to bring that morning. Listening to his stomach protest against the lack of food, he mused silently. <em>Dreams have an impeccable sense of timing. <em>Nearly two months had passed since he'd last been forced to relive that day. _And now, what, four times in the past week? I need to quit napping, maybe that's what I'm supposed to get out of this. Yeah, the hell it is._

Minutes later, he heard the door to the Training Hall open and slam shut with a _crack._

_Please, don't let this be Tigress. I can't afford to set her off again if I have a hope of this working._

Pleasantly surprised, he watched Crane enter the cell, clearly agitated. _Oh good, someone already ruffled his feathers. Many thanks, Master Mantis. _"Master Crane, how did I know you'd be visiting so soon?"

Crane set his jaw, irritated. "You seem to have luck with hunches. Care to tell me why after speaking to you, Mantis was running around in a panic, but no one else was?"

Tai adopted a cheery tone. "Have you all eaten lunch yet? I'm wasting away in here!"

"If you're cooperative, I'll see what I can do."

_I could shut up right now, and I think this one would still do what he's supposed to do._ "Fine. I suppose Mantis saw more aggression in my words than the others. But, that is out of my control."

"Is it?"

"To some degree. Come to talk? I'm afraid I'm a tad busy at the moment."

In most other situations, the snow leopard's remark would have been worth a chuckle, considering his current position. However, Crane had more pressing matters to deal with. "Mantis made mention of a possible breach in our security. Would you know anything about that?"

Tai raised an eyebrow. "No, I'm sure I don't know what you're referring to. However, in full disclosure, this cell is pitiful."

"Do tell."

_Sneak a bit of truth in, at least. Could help them down the road. _"The manacles and chains are adequate, but the connections to the walls are lacking. Anyone with half the mindset to get out of here and more than a little strength in the arms could pull the chains free with relative ease."

Crane tried and failed to be discreet in stepping back toward the door and glancing toward the points connecting Tai Lung's limbs to his cell. "There's still the door."

This earned a genuine laugh from the snow leopard. "That's true, it's not like the guards are barging in every other hour. It would be far too difficult for someone powerful enough to warrant being put in this secret cell to hit somebody upside the head as they entered, leaving the door wide open."

Crane, now understandably concerned for his safety, stepped outside the cell, locked the door, and began speaking through the slot nearly at his eye level. Or, rather, would have if the feline's roaring laughter hadn't shifted into fierce speech.

"Feel safer, Master Crane? Get back in here, you damned coward, you're a warrior. Show it."

Although Tai didn't see it, Crane shifted nervously. "It's been said before, you don't get to make demands."

"Yes, because you're Shifu. No one but him would be speaking to me if it were his decision."

"Be that as it may, I'm perfectly comfortable here. Now, what have you been doing for the past two years?"

He heard a groan from inside the cell. "I can't go through this a fifth time, I'm going to lose my mind. I moved northeast, and found a handful of men that...respected my work. They had a ship, and I took over as its captain."

"And you left them for us?"

"Something like that. The only thing they were good for was sailing, I'm sure you learned of their collective fighting ability when you all came upon my ship."

Crane decided to ask something of his own. "Why did you want the Dragon Scroll so badly?"

The answer came quickly, and very seriously. "I earned it. Everyone knew it. There wasn't even anyone else vying for it."

He opted to take a risk in countering the leopard's response. _I've had better ideas than provoking a man this powerful, who just happened to describe an easy way to escape the only thing separating the two of us. Still, I need proof that he can in no way be trusted around the Valley. _"I don't think that's true. I think you felt weak, powerless. I think you still do. I think the Dragon Scroll was going to fix everything for you. I think that when you were denied it, you couldn't take the weakness, so you lashed out to become stronger. And do you know what else? I think that when you learned what it contained, you lost all hope, and returned to your weakness."

The air was silent for what seemed like an eternity. Tai Lung stood in the cell, stewing. _You know what I think, Master Crane? I think I wish you hadn't left the cell. Not that it would help my endeavor, but tearing you to pieces would feel so damn good in the moment. _Growling, he spat out his response. "You would be wise to remember to whom you are speaking, and the things I've done to people that have done much less than that to me."

"Is that a threat?"

"Yes."

Crane nodded, uneasy. _Well, I have what I need, and my head as well. Frankly, that went quite well. _"Do you ever regret trying to take the Scroll by force?"

"Not even once."

Preparing himself for the answer he dreaded most, Crane spoke softly. "What are you doing here, Tai Lung?"

_Don't overthink this, just talk. _"Why, I've come to reclaim my pride. One battle, taking on the Jade Palace now that I've recovered from my time in prison. To show every man, woman, and child in China that the _Great Dragon_ has returned. I would prepare yourself, Master Crane. You have a chance to destroy me in combat. Or," the leopard smiled sadistically and Crane shuddered, watching through the slot in the door, "you will fall alongside the others in battle, and die defending those we both swore to protect."

Crane left hurriedly, and Tai sighed, his resolve finally threatening to splinter. _Go on, little bird. Chirp away._

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><p>Rushing from the Training Hall, Crane rounded up the other members of the Furious Five, as well as Po and Shifu. They congregated in the kitchen.<p>

Shifu decided to begin the impromptu meeting. "Crane, what is it that you wished to discuss?"

Crane took a deep breath, glancing around the table at which the warriors were seated. "Tai Lung has made mention of an escape to me, and of a breakout to Mantis. He spoke of an assault on the Palace and the Valley to both of us."

The reactions to Crane's words were beyond diverse. Tigress stood abruptly with shock, her words drowned out in those of the group. Viper wore a similar expression, while Po could only gape. Monkey seemed to be hit with a realization as he recalled his conversation with the snow leopard, while Shifu shouted something about not alerting him instantly.

Mantis finally stepped in to try and play diplomat. "Hey, _hey_!" The noise settled, and he continued. "It's clear enough that there's some...confusion as to what's happening here. Let's just figure out what's going on, and then we can decide what to do about it."

Crane spoke up after seeing a general nod. "Tigress, Viper, you two seem...strongly against what's been said. What have you heard?"

Tigress opened her mouth to speak, and thought the better of it. _Is it possible that that snow leopard is actually stupid? What the hell is he doing telling different stories? Especially stories of this...danger. _

Viper came to her rescue. "Well, I can't speak for Tigress, as it seems none of us heard the same thing, but I saw no trace of violent intent in Tai Lung from our conversation."

Mantis had to choke back a humorless laugh, and gave an apologetic shrug. "I'm sorry, but you actually believe that?"

Viper grew somewhat defensive. _After what he said, and that look in his eyes...any other time I might have laughed too, but I know he was genuine with me. I wouldn't mind knowing why he told these two that he was planning an attack, but that can't be. _"Yes! There was just a look about him that can't be produced on command."

Crane looked at her, shocked. "Yeah, I'm familiar with that look. I saw it a few minutes ago when he told me to be ready to die for the people I'd sworn to defend. He wasn't lying, and the story makes sense. The story that you're telling doesn't!"

Tigress decided to enter the rapidly heating discussion. "He told me that he had come to accept his punishment. I believe him."

Shifu maintained his look of enraged confusion throughout the meeting. Monkey managed to insert himself. "Can I throw out a theory? I didn't get either perception from when I spoke with Tai Lung, but look at what we're doing, right this moment. This is exactly what he wants, us choosing sides, turning on each other."

Mantis considered his words. "He did tell me that he planned to bring down the Jade Palace from inside his cell. Maybe that's what he was referring to?"

Shifu nodded slowly. "It's possible. We must decide what to do with Tai Lung. Especially if he is planning to attack the Valley."

Po finally spoke up. "Well, can't we just write the Anvil of Heaven? Have them take Tai Lung back to prison?"

Shifu thought about the Dragon Warrior's words. "Mantis, you said that Tai Lung spoke of a breakout. Did he allude to when?"

"Allude to it? No. Tell me directly? Yes. He didn't seem concerned with how much information we held. Six days."

Shifu looked sick. "We cannot contact the Anvil and have them reach us in six days, and that's likely the latest that an attack will come."

Tigress felt her stomach turn as Shifu spoke his next words.

"We cannot allow an attack to come to the Valley of Peace. Tai Lung must be killed."

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><p><strong>Author's Note: You may now commence attacking me via review. You guys are running out of time to put up a theory before I make it known, and I'd love to see them! I have 14 written, might publish early...?<strong>

**I'm going to try and cut my music selections down from "hey, this kind of fits" to "this needs to be in there immediately". That said, none this chapter.**

**Until next time!**


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